Director of Prisoners’ Affairs acknowledges error in payment of salaries for released prisoners and announces retroactive payment
“Bassem Al-Majdalawi, Director of Prisoners’ and Released [Prisoners’] Affairs, announced that the deductions from the salaries of the prisoners released in the Shalit deal were retroactive income tax deductions [made] before the transfer of their salaries to the Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs, where their salaries would be systematized next month [October 2014].
In addition, Al-Majdalawi explained that several of these prisoners released in the Shalit deal had not received their salaries this month because of a technical error at the Finance Ministry, and that their salaries had been stopped because the Ministry had demanded they provide it with a legal commitment. This demand, however, was made exclusively of those [prisoners] receiving regular unemployment [benefits], not those [released in] the Shalit deal, [whose salaries] had been transferred to the Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs.
Al-Majdalani reassured the released prisoners, telling them that the Finance Ministry had understood the error after [receiving] a letter from Minister [of Prisoners’ Affairs] Issa Karake, and that the Finance Ministry would pay their salaries retroactively at the beginning of next month.”
Note: Shalit deal – In October 2011, the Israeli government agreed to release 1,027 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prison in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been held hostage by Hamas for more than 5 years. Dozens of the terrorists released in that deal were rearrested in June 2014, following the abduction of Israeli teens Eyal Yifrach, 19, Gilad Shaar, 16, and Naftali Frenkel, 16.
In addition, Al-Majdalawi explained that several of these prisoners released in the Shalit deal had not received their salaries this month because of a technical error at the Finance Ministry, and that their salaries had been stopped because the Ministry had demanded they provide it with a legal commitment. This demand, however, was made exclusively of those [prisoners] receiving regular unemployment [benefits], not those [released in] the Shalit deal, [whose salaries] had been transferred to the Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs.
Al-Majdalani reassured the released prisoners, telling them that the Finance Ministry had understood the error after [receiving] a letter from Minister [of Prisoners’ Affairs] Issa Karake, and that the Finance Ministry would pay their salaries retroactively at the beginning of next month.”
Note: Shalit deal – In October 2011, the Israeli government agreed to release 1,027 Palestinian prisoners from Israeli prison in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been held hostage by Hamas for more than 5 years. Dozens of the terrorists released in that deal were rearrested in June 2014, following the abduction of Israeli teens Eyal Yifrach, 19, Gilad Shaar, 16, and Naftali Frenkel, 16.