US Secretary of State John Kerry with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Photo: Department of State.

During the Iran nuclear deal controversy last year, critics of the agreement were frequently shot down by supporters who trotted out the “dual loyalty” canard and asserted that “America should do what is in the best interests of America, not Israel.” Only time will tell whether any American interests were actually served by the Iran deal (early indications, such as the recent use of prohibited ballistic missiles bearing the message “Israel must be wiped out,” suggest they were not), but let me tell you what is certainly not in America’s interest:

The Palestinian terrorist murder of American West Point graduate and combat veteran Taylor Force barely a mile from where Vice President Biden was making an appearance was both an insult and an injury to America and Americans.

Biden’s speech condemning it, though strongly worded, was a pathetic non-response: there was no diplomatic activity, no threat to withdraw funds or support. There was not even a statement from our president. Indeed, even the condemnation was embarrassing, since Biden “condemned” the attack and then “called upon” Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to likewise “condemn” it. Naturally, Abbas (who makes no secret of his support, incitement and funding of terrorist attacks) ignored Biden. This is a gross insult to America. Continuing to have diplomatic relations with Abbas and his government is harmful to America’s prestige in the world, and is not in America’s interest.

This is not the first time such insults and injuries by the Palestinian leadership have been ignored. Since America brokered the Oslo Accords in 1993, at least 54 American citizens have been murdered by Palestinian terrorists. No diplomatic action has ever been taken against the PA; nor has any compensation been demanded or sanctions imposed. Indeed, the current White House actually intervened to request a reduction of a bond imposed on the PA, pending appeal of a judgment issued by an American federal court in a private lawsuit for damages against it, based on its complicity in several terrorist attacks in which Americans were murdered.

Allowing Palestinian terrorists to murder American citizens with impunity does not serve American interests. It promotes the idea that America will not fight back and will not defend its own citizens from terrorists. This sends the message that terrorists everywhere may act against America without fear of retribution.

Rather than sanction the terrorist Palestinian regime as it should, the American government, shockingly, continues to fund it. Pouring hundreds of millions of American tax dollars every year into a corrupt government that uses that money to incite and fund terrorism against an American ally is not in America’s interest.

Successive American governments have stated that it is in America’s interests to resolve the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Arabs in a way that protects the human rights of both sides. Moreover, the overwhelming majority of the American people consistently support Israel over the Palestinian Arabs by a large margin. That interest is not served by providing financial or political support to persons and organizations that promote hatred and violence, that deny the human rights of Jews and that openly call for genocide.

Palestinian television, newspapers, textbooks and mosques — all funded and controlled by the PA — are filled with vicious antisemitism the likes of which Hitler could not even have imagined. Palestinian streets, parks, schools, summer camps and sporting events are named after terrorists, including murderers of American citizens. Although in theory America’s donations to the PA are restricted for “civilian” use, there is no system for ensuring compliance, and the “civilian” infrastructure has all been corrupted to promote hate and violence. This American financial support to the PA is not helping to resolve the conflict, but in fact is helping to perpetuate it — and is paying for the very structures named after the murderers of Americans!

It is time for America to end this charade. The PA has been misusing American funds, abusing American trust and sticking its finger in America’s eye for more than two decades. Whatever idea we once had that our funding would help build a decent “hopeful” (and thus peaceful) society for the Palestinians has not come to pass. Quite the opposite. The Palestinians get more recalcitrant and more brazen in their insults to America with each passing day. There is absolutely nothing in this situation that is in any way beneficial to American interests. It merely makes America look foolish and weak, and it is irresponsible for our government to continue to fund it. Enough is enough.

This article was originally published by The Jerusalem Post. Follow the author’s blog: Facebook.com/BlueWhiteHorizon.