Abbas: We "adhere" to the issue of Martyrs' and prisoners' salaries
"Yesterday evening [July 11, 2019] the second session of the Fatah Movement Advisory Council’s meetings took place in the [PA] presidential headquarters in Ramallah, in the presence of [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas and the Fatah Central Committee members.
The president gave a comprehensive political speech, in which he reviewed the latest political developments in the Palestinian arena, the internal situation, and all of the political developments. The speech emphasized the firm Palestinian position that rejects the so-called deal of the century (i.e., refers to US President Donald Trump’s as yet unpublished Middle East peace plan) and adheres to the basic national principles, and primarily Jerusalem and its holy sites, and the issue of the Martyrs and prisoners' money (referring to Israel’s Anti "Pay-for-Slay” Law to deduct terror salaries; see note below –Ed.)…
He again emphasized the refusal to agree to accept the partial tax money that Israel is holding in its hands, and that we want the Palestinian people's money in full, and not one penny less."
Israel's Anti "Pay-for-Slay" Law - 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. During the parliamentary vote, 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] In accordance with the law, as of September 2021 Israel’s Security Cabinet had ordered the freeze of 1.857 billion shekels ($580.15 million) - the sum equivalent to the PA payments to terrorists in 2018, 2019, and 2020.