Criminal Court opened a preliminary examination of the situation in Palestine after accepting jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court over alleged crimes committed in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, since June 13, 2014 . (10) The PLO’s decision to accede to the Rome Statute as well as several international organizations is an attempt to change the status of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip outside of direct negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians. (11) On January 7, 2015, the Department of State’s Office of the Spokesperson stated, we have made clear our opposition to Palestinian action in seeking to join the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court . (12) On April 1, 2015, the State of Palestine officially became a member of the International Criminal Court. (13) The PLO and PA continue to engage in incitement and glorify terrorism, and reward terrorists, their families, and the families of those who died committing terrorist attacks with roughly $300,000,000 annually in salaries and benefits, providing a higher reward to those with longer jail sentences. (14) On August 30, 2016, Deputy Secretary of State, Anthony J. Blinken, submitted to Congress a report as required under section 804(b) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1990 and 1991 ( Public Law 101–246 ), sections 603 and 604 of the Middle East Peace Commitments Act of 2002 (subtitle A of title VI of Public Law 107–228 ), and section 699 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003 ( Public Law 107–228 ). (15) In this report, Deputy Secretary of State Blinken, acting under authority delegated to him as Deputy Secretary pursuant to the President’s Delegation of Functions on April 30, 2009, made the determination that the PLO and PA are not in compliance with certain commitments to prevent violations, discipline violators, and assume responsibility over all PLO elements … thus the sanction specified in section 604(a)(2) of [ Public Law 107–228 ], calling for a