Abbas in letter to Putin: Israeli “pay-for-slay” law is meant to prevent PA from “fulfilling its obligations to the families of the prisoners and Martyrs, who struggled for the freedom of their people… and who are worthy of all aid”
“PLO Executive Committee member and Fatah Movement Central Committee member Azzam Al-Ahmad received Russian Ambassador to the State of Palestine Aydar Aganin at his office in Ramallah yesterday [Feb. 23, 2019].
Al-Ahmad gave the Russian ambassador a written letter from [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas for [Russian] President Vladimir Putin. The letter deals with the recent developments and the cutting of part of the tax money by [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s government (refers to implementation of law to deduct terrorist salaries from the PA tax money; see note below –Ed.) in a way that contradicts the economic Paris Agreement (see note below –Ed.) that was signed between the two sides – a step that contradicts international laws and that is meant to blackmail the Palestinian leadership and exert pressure on it, in order to prevent it from fulfilling its obligations to the families of the prisoners and Martyrs (Shahids), who struggled for the freedom of their people and the end of the occupation, and who are worthy of all aid – regardless of the difficulties and pressures.”
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Azzam Al-Ahmad also holds the following positions: Head of the PLO Department of Arab and Parliamentary Affairs, Fatah Commissioner of National Relations, and Fatah Commissioner for Relations with Lebanon.
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]
Paris Agreement – agreement on economic relations between Israel and the PLO, signed in Paris on April 29, 1994. Its main goal is to promote peace by establishing economic relations modeled on EU economic relations.
Al-Ahmad gave the Russian ambassador a written letter from [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas for [Russian] President Vladimir Putin. The letter deals with the recent developments and the cutting of part of the tax money by [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s government (refers to implementation of law to deduct terrorist salaries from the PA tax money; see note below –Ed.) in a way that contradicts the economic Paris Agreement (see note below –Ed.) that was signed between the two sides – a step that contradicts international laws and that is meant to blackmail the Palestinian leadership and exert pressure on it, in order to prevent it from fulfilling its obligations to the families of the prisoners and Martyrs (Shahids), who struggled for the freedom of their people and the end of the occupation, and who are worthy of all aid – regardless of the difficulties and pressures.”
Click to view bulletin
Azzam Al-Ahmad also holds the following positions: Head of the PLO Department of Arab and Parliamentary Affairs, Fatah Commissioner of National Relations, and Fatah Commissioner for Relations with Lebanon.
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]
Paris Agreement – agreement on economic relations between Israel and the PLO, signed in Paris on April 29, 1994. Its main goal is to promote peace by establishing economic relations modeled on EU economic relations.
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