WASHINGTON — Unites States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senator Foreign Relations Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, joined Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and 14 other GOP colleagues in reintroducing the Palestinian International Terrorism Support Prevention Act. This bill would impose sanctions against foreign individuals, entities, and governments that provide support to Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other Palestinian terrorist groups that just spent weeks launching more than 4,000 rockets at Israeli civilians. The legislation also requires the President to submit to Congress an assessment of whether critical foreign countries are doing enough to counter the fundraising, financing, and money laundering activities of Palestinian terrorist groups.
“Terrorists in Gaza and elsewhere continue to pose severe threats to U.S. national security interests and to Israel, a fellow democracy and our most important ally in the Middle East,” Hagerty said. “I’m proud to co-sponsor this bill to impose sanctions and other forms of pressure against those who support and enable Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other Iran-backed terrorist groups.”
“As these terrorist groups continue to show zero regard for the loss of innocent lives and threaten our ally, Israel, I’m proud to reintroduce this bill which seeks to impose sanctions against foreign nationals and governments who are actively providing material support to these groups,” Rubio said. “We must hold accountable the individuals who are aiding the terrorist activities of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad.”
This month, Hagerty sent a letter urging President Biden to stand with Israel during its conflict with Iranian-backed terrorist in Gaza, and not provide sanctions relief to Iran. Hagerty has introduced legislation that would require a Congressional vote on any effort by the Biden Administration to suspend or terminate U.S. sanctions against the Iranian regime. 34 Senators—enough lawmakers to block the Iran deal if President Biden actually followed the U.S. Constitution and submitted the JCPOA as a treaty to the Senate—are co-sponsoring Hagerty’s bill.