PLO official: Israeli 'pay-for-slay' law is "theft", part of policy to "criminalizing all forms of resistance [and] accusing our people of terror"
Headline: "Local and Arab condemnations of the occupation's decision to steal more than 502 million shekels from the tax money"
"PLO Executive Committee member [and head of the PLO Department of Diplomacy and Public Policy] Dr. Hanan Ashrawi said that 'This organized and deliberate theft of the Palestinian people's money and resources (referring to implementation of an Israeli law to deduct terror salaries from PA tax money; see note below –Ed.) reflects the occupation state’s path, which is based on criminalizing all forms of resistance, accusing our people of terror, demonizing it, imposing collective punishments on it, and financially and politically blackmailing it. These steps contradict international humanitarian law and the agreements that were signed, and they are additional proof of Israel's exaggeration in punishing anyone that rejects its occupation and resists its steps.'
She added: 'The Palestinian people will not succumb to blackmail, as this money is not Israel's – and if we had the authority to control our crossings, we would not need the occupation state to serve as a mediator to obtain the taxes in return for high percentages. (Israel does not take any percentages of the PA tax money but sometimes make deductions agreed to by the PA to cover different debts such as electricity -Ed.'"
Law to deduct terrorist salaries from PA tax money - Israeli law stating that the PA payments to terrorists and the families of dead terrorists is a financial incentive to terror. The law instructs the state to deduct and freeze the amount of money the PA pays in salaries to imprisoned terrorists and families of "Martyrs" from the tax money Israel collects for the PA. Should the PA stop these payments for a full year, the Israeli government would have the option of giving all or part of the frozen money to the PA.
The law was enacted by the Israeli Parliament on July 2, 2018, and its first implementation was approved by Israel's Security Cabinet on Feb. 17, 2019, when it decided to withhold 502,697,000 Israeli shekels (approximately $138 million) from the PA. In response, the PA announced it would not accept any of the tax money collected by Israel unless it also included the frozen amount.
During the initial parliamentary vote in 2018, the law's sponsor Avi Dichter said: “The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee received much help in its deliberations... from Palestinian Media Watch who provided us with authentic data that enabled productive and professional deliberations, nuances that are very difficult to achieve without precise data.” [Israeli Parliament website, July 2, 2018]
"PLO Executive Committee member [and head of the PLO Department of Diplomacy and Public Policy] Dr. Hanan Ashrawi said that 'This organized and deliberate theft of the Palestinian people's money and resources (referring to implementation of an Israeli law to deduct terror salaries from PA tax money; see note below –Ed.) reflects the occupation state’s path, which is based on criminalizing all forms of resistance, accusing our people of terror, demonizing it, imposing collective punishments on it, and financially and politically blackmailing it. These steps contradict international humanitarian law and the agreements that were signed, and they are additional proof of Israel's exaggeration in punishing anyone that rejects its occupation and resists its steps.'
She added: 'The Palestinian people will not succumb to blackmail, as this money is not Israel's – and if we had the authority to control our crossings, we would not need the occupation state to serve as a mediator to obtain the taxes in return for high percentages. (Israel does not take any percentages of the PA tax money but sometimes make deductions agreed to by the PA to cover different debts such as electricity -Ed.'"
Law to deduct terrorist salaries from PA tax money - Israeli law stating that the PA payments to terrorists and the families of dead terrorists is a financial incentive to terror. The law instructs the state to deduct and freeze the amount of money the PA pays in salaries to imprisoned terrorists and families of "Martyrs" from the tax money Israel collects for the PA. Should the PA stop these payments for a full year, the Israeli government would have the option of giving all or part of the frozen money to the PA.
The law was enacted by the Israeli Parliament on July 2, 2018, and its first implementation was approved by Israel's Security Cabinet on Feb. 17, 2019, when it decided to withhold 502,697,000 Israeli shekels (approximately $138 million) from the PA. In response, the PA announced it would not accept any of the tax money collected by Israel unless it also included the frozen amount.
During the initial parliamentary vote in 2018, the law's sponsor Avi Dichter said: “The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee received much help in its deliberations... from Palestinian Media Watch who provided us with authentic data that enabled productive and professional deliberations, nuances that are very difficult to achieve without precise data.” [Israeli Parliament website, July 2, 2018]