Commitment to terrorists' salaries, reiterated by PA PM
“[PA] Interim Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah received a number of delegations in Ramallah yesterday [March 18, 2019] for the conclusion of his role as [PA] national unity government prime minister… Among the delegations were the National Council for [PA] Security Forces Pensioners led by Maj. Gen. Salah Shadid, the National Association of the Families of the Martyrs (Shahids) [of Palestine], and the Independent Human Rights Council…
Hamdallah again emphasized the commitment of the leadership, led by [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas and the government, to pay the allowances of the Martyrs and prisoners in full, despite all of the difficult delays and conditions that we are facing (refers to Israeli Anti “Pay-for-Slay” Law to deduct terrorist salaries; see note below –Ed.).
Hamdallah praised the Security Forces pensioners’ sacrifice at all stages of our cause, while emphasizing the need to provide them with dignified lives as befits their sacrifices.”
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.