Witnesses clash over Palestinian Authority payments, settler violence and policy remedies
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Summary
Witnesses offered competing claims about Palestinian Authority payments to militants and contested data on settler violence; members pressed for verification and policy steps, with several witnesses urging PA reformation and others urging preservation of negotiation space.
A House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee hearing on Judea and Samaria featured contested claims about Palestinian Authority practices and recent trends in settler expansion and violence, with members asking witnesses what policy levers Congress should use.
Morton Klein alleged the Palestinian Authority continues to fund militants, telling the committee that "The Palestinian Authority pays $400,000,000 a year for lifetime pensions for a terrorist to murder Jews and Christians." Professor Eugene Kantorovich echoed skepticism that reforms represented a substantive change in PA behavior, saying reforms appeared aimed at complying with U.S. legislation rather than reflecting a change of heart.
Representative Dean raised recent settlement activity and violence: he told the committee that "in August 2025, the Israeli government granted approval to build more than 3,000 housing units in Ewan" and that "October 25 saw the highest levels of settler violence in the West Bank on record, totaling 264 attacks." Dr. John Alterman acknowledged rising settler violence and said parts of the evidence are in classified channels, but he agreed that extremist elements exist on both sides.
Members debated appropriate congressional responses. Some, including witnesses aligned with Morton Klein's view, urged conditioning funds and demanding charter changes and other reforms in Palestinian institutions. Others cautioned that verification is necessary and that the U.S. should preserve pathways for negotiations while pressing for de‑escalation and improvements in daily life.
The hearing recorded no formal policymaking votes. Members asked witnesses to provide further documentation and to answer additional questions in writing.
