The NIS 600 million ($176 million) the government voted to freeze will come from tax funds Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. According to Kan news, the NIS 600 million will be withdrawn in monthly installments over the next year. In 2018, Israel passed a law requiring the government to withhold the equivalent amount of money estimated to be paid by the Palestinian Authority to Palestinian terrorists and their families. Although required by law, the security cabinet still has to vote periodically to approve the move. Although popular with Israelis, who oppose the PA’s so-called “pay to slay” system, which incites terrorism, this law is believed to be potentially destabilizing for the perpetually cash-strapped PA. Israel has in the past offered loans to the Palestinians to keep the Palestinian Authority afloat and prevent its complete collapse. Get The Times of Israel Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories By signing up, you agree to the terms Health Minister Nijan Horowitz, of the notorious Meretz party, abstained from Sunday’s vote, according to Kan, which cited sources who said he opposed the measure. Prime Minister Yair Lapid (right) and Deputy Prime Minister Naftali Bennett at a cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem on July 31, 2022. (Marc Israel Sellem/POOL) Israel has long accused the Palestinian Authority of encouraging terrorism and militant activities by publicly honoring attackers and paying benefits to their families if they are killed or imprisoned in Israeli prisons. Labor Party leader Merav Michaeli reportedly told the cabinet that the Palestinian Authority was ready to stop these payments, which are not only deeply unpopular in Israel but also in the United States and Europe, which see them as incentives for the terror. “I know the Palestinian Authority is ready to stop payments to terrorists and their families, so we can stop with these countermeasures,” Michaeli said, according to an unsourced Channel 13 report. Deputy Prime Minister Naftali Bennett responded: “If they want to stop the payments, they should stop. There’s nothing to discuss.” Mihaeli insisted that they were ready, but that such a move by the PA was contingent on peace talks. “I know they are ready. We need to have diplomatic talks with them, and that would be part of it,” he reportedly said. The cabinet’s decision immediately drew criticism from Palestinian officials, calling it an “economic blockade” on the Palestinian economy. Palestinian Authority officials have argued similarly against this Israeli policy in the past. “The occupation government continues to loot money from the coffers of the Palestinians and decides to take away hundreds of millions of shekels to further embed the policy of financial exclusion and steal our money in a step that adds to the daily escalation in the cities, towns and villages us. camps and the legalization of our bloodshed,” said Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s executive committee. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas speaks during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Ramallah. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool) Last week, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called the fathers of two Palestinian gunmen killed in a firefight with Israeli troops in the West Bank and offered his condolences. Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the call was seen by the widely unpopular Abbas as an opportunity for some domestic political gains – hence its filming and circulation on Palestinian social media. However, the current Israeli government has taken steps to ensure close coordination with the Palestinian Authority. In a meeting held in Ramallah earlier this month, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Abbas discussed issues related to security coordination. A day later, President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Yair Lapid held telephone talks with Abbas, in what is believed to be the first direct communication between an Israeli prime minister and the PA leader in five years. Join our Israeli cooking experience! Israeli cooking is stirring the world. Here’s your chance to join… The Times of Israel Community is excited to introduce our new virtual cooking series, B’Teavon, where world-renowned chefs show you how to make classic and modern Israeli dishes. Learn more Learn more Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this You are a devoted reader We are really glad that you read X Times of Israel articles last month. That’s why we started the Times of Israel ten years ago – to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world. So now we have a request. Unlike other media, we have not set up a paywall. But because the journalism we do is expensive, we invite readers to whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community. For just $6 a month you can support our quality journalism by enjoying Times of Israel ADS-FREE, as well as access to exclusive content available only to members of the Times of Israel Community. Thank you, David Horowitz, founding editor of the Times of Israel Join our community Join our community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
title: “Israel To Withhold Nis 600 Million From Pa For Payments To Terrorist Families " ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-10” author: “Barbara Drake”
The NIS 600 million ($176 million) the government voted to freeze will come from tax funds Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. According to Kan news, the NIS 600 million will be withdrawn in monthly installments over the next year. In 2018, Israel passed a law requiring the government to withhold the equivalent amount of money estimated to be paid by the Palestinian Authority to Palestinian terrorists and their families. Although this is required by law, the security cabinet still has to vote periodically to approve the move. Although popular with Israelis, who oppose the PA’s so-called “pay to slay” system, which incites terrorism, this law is believed to be potentially destabilizing for the perpetually cash-strapped PA. Israel has in the past offered loans to the Palestinians to keep the Palestinian Authority afloat and prevent its complete collapse. Get The Times of Israel Daily Edition by email and never miss our top stories By signing up, you agree to the terms Health Minister Nijan Horowitz, of the notorious Meretz party, abstained from Sunday’s vote, according to Kan, which cited sources who said he opposed the measure. Prime Minister Yair Lapid (right) and Deputy Prime Minister Naftali Bennett at a cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem on July 31, 2022. (Marc Israel Sellem/POOL) Israel has long accused the Palestinian Authority of encouraging terrorism and militant activities by publicly honoring attackers and paying benefits to their families if they are killed or imprisoned in Israeli prisons. Labor Party leader Merav Michaeli reportedly told the cabinet that the Palestinian Authority was ready to stop these payments, which are not only deeply unpopular in Israel but also in the United States and Europe, which see them as incentives for the terror. “I know the Palestinian Authority is ready to stop payments to terrorists and their families, so we can stop with these countermeasures,” Michaeli said, according to an unsourced Channel 13 report. Deputy Prime Minister Naftali Bennett responded: “If they want to stop the payments, they should stop. There’s nothing to discuss.” Mihaeli insisted that they were ready, but that such a move by the PA was contingent on peace talks. “I know they are ready. We need to have diplomatic talks with them, and that would be part of it,” he reportedly said. The cabinet’s decision immediately drew criticism from Palestinian officials, calling it an “economic blockade” on the Palestinian economy. Palestinian Authority officials have argued similarly against this Israeli policy in the past. “The occupation government continues to loot money from the coffers of the Palestinians and decides to take away hundreds of millions of shekels to further embed the policy of financial exclusion and steal our money in a step that adds to the daily escalation in the cities, towns and villages us. camps and the legalization of our bloodshed,” said Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s executive committee. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas speaks during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Sunday, March 27, 2022, in Ramallah. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool) Last week, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas called the fathers of two Palestinian gunmen killed in a firefight with Israeli troops in the West Bank and offered his condolences. Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the call was seen by the widely unpopular Abbas as an opportunity for some domestic political gains – hence its filming and circulation on Palestinian social media. However, the current Israeli government has taken steps to ensure close coordination with the Palestinian Authority. In a meeting held in Ramallah earlier this month, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Abbas discussed issues related to security coordination. A day later, President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Yair Lapid held telephone talks with Abbas, in what is believed to be the first direct communication between an Israeli prime minister and the PA leader in five years. Join our Israeli cooking experience! Israeli cooking is stirring the world. Here’s your chance to join… The Times of Israel Community is excited to introduce our new virtual cooking series, B’Teavon, where world-renowned chefs show you how to make classic and modern Israeli dishes. Learn more Learn more Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this You are a devoted reader We are really glad that you read X Times of Israel articles last month. That’s why we started the Times of Israel ten years ago – to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world. So now we have a request. Unlike other media, we have not set up a paywall. But because the journalism we do is expensive, we invite readers to whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community. For just $6 a month you can support our quality journalism by enjoying Times of Israel ADS-FREE, as well as access to exclusive content available only to members of the Times of Israel Community. Thank you, David Horowitz, founding editor of the Times of Israel Join our community Join our community Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
