This is in addition to tens of millions the PA already gives
in salaries and other benefits
to terrorists in prison and released terrorists
PA's funding of terrorists is enabled by money
the US and European countries give to the PA
for salaries and its general budget
by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
Most Western countries have laws and regulations prohibiting support for
terrorists or former terrorists. The US, the UK, Holland, Norway,
Sweden and others have debated, proposed and/or passed laws or motions
in parliament against giving the Palestinian Authority money that ends
up in the hands of terrorists. In spite of their laws and their
opposition, these countries continue to fund the PA's general budget,
thereby paying tens of millions of dollars to terrorists as salaries and
other payments.
Last week, the PA announced that it will be
giving an additional $46 million a year to released prisoners, a
category which includes hundreds of murderers of civilians. Since the PA
cannot cover its monthly budget payments without Western aid, these
additional payments to terrorists will also be facilitated both directly
and indirectly by Western donor money to the PA.
The official
announcement was made by the PA Minister of Prisoners' Affairs Issa
Karake, who said that the PA government has approved a regulation of the
Prisoners' Law that "is concerned with improving conditions for
released [prisoners]," a regulation whose "budget... has been estimated at 160 million shekels a year."
This
160 million shekels ($46 million) for terrorists, including mass
murderers, is made possible by international donors. This was made clear
in the PA Minister's announcement. He explained that the PA was not
able to fund this financial support for released prisoners in 2013
because of its "large budget deficit," so it will only start in 2014:
"Karake
noted that the government has acknowledged the importance of the
regulation and the need to implement it according to the rules. However,
due to the large budget deficit and the PA's financial situation,
establishing the budget, which has been estimated at 160 million shekels
a year, has been postponed until April [2014]."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 6, 2014]
Significantly,
the PA did not cover its 2013 budget without hundreds of millions of
dollars from Western donors, tens of millions of which went directly
into the bank accounts of terrorists. Since there have been no reports
of massive improvements in the PA economy freeing it of the need to
receive Western aid to pay its budget, clearly the PA is counting on
Western donor money to facilitate this $46 million to terrorists as
well.
In 2011, Palestinian Media Watch exposed that the PA pays high salaries
to imprisoned terrorists. Similarly, the PA gives salaries, grants and
other financial benefits to released terrorist prisoners. Since then,
many European countries have condemned the PA's use of their money to
pay terrorists. However, the PA responded to Western criticism by mocking European donors
for wanting their money to remain "clean." In the words of the same PA
Minister who announced the $46 million for released prisoners:
"The Europeans want their money that comes to us to remain clean - not
to go to families of those they claim to be 'terrorists.' [They] need to
renounce this occupation (Israeli) mentality. These [prisoners] are
heroes, self-sacrificing fighters ( fedayyeen), and fighters who
fought so that we could live in dignity... These heroes, whom you [the
audience] are applauding, must live in dignity, so that we will continue
to hold our heads high. We appreciate the people of the revolution and
are proud of them."
[Official PA TV Live, Nov. 4, 2013]
Click to view
Although
the PA has rejected the European demand not to fund terrorists, neither
the US, the UK, Holland, Norway, Sweden or any other donors have
announced over the last year a cessation of funding for PA salaries or
the PA general budget, from which the PA pays the terrorists. It is
therefore not surprising that the PA continues to use donor money as it
pleases against donor wishes. In addition to paying salaries to
terrorists, the PA uses donor money to glorify terrorist murderers,
propagate libels demonizing Israel, promote violence and spread
Antisemitism among its people [see PMW
documentation]. To this, the PA has added and additional $46 million
payment to terrorists, which will be paid by Western taxpayers in 2014.
The
following is a longer excerpt of the report on the additional budget of
$46 million that the PA has decided to allocate to imprisoned and
released terrorists:
"[PA] Minister
of Prisoners' Affairs Issa Karake said that it has been decided that the
budget for the fifth regulation [of the Prisoners' Law] approved by the
government will be set this coming April [2014]. [The fifth regulation]
completes the remaining implementing regulations of the Prisoners' Law,
and is concerned with improving conditions for released [prisoners].
This will be done as an appendix to the [general] budget, so its
implementation will begin this year and [apply] retroactively.
Karake
noted that the government has acknowledged the importance of the
regulation and the need to implement it according to the rules. However,
due to the large budget deficit and the PA's financial situation,
establishing the budget, which has been estimated at 160 million shekels
a year, has been postponed until April. [He added that] a ministerial
committee has been appointed to prepare the appendix to the budget.
Karake
emphasized that this regulation will contribute considerably to solving
many problems that prisoners face after their release and that it is
part of the regulations and laws for all services for the prisoners, in a
just and transparent manner, and in accordance with the law. Likewise,
he noted that the government has made the prisoners' issue one of its
priorities and is investing all its efforts in easing their suffering
given what is available (i.e., availability of funds).
Karake
thanked the President [Abbas] and the Prime Minister [Hamdallah] for
their great efforts and for their [accepting] responsibility for the
prisoners' cause, whether at a political or social level, or at the
livelihood level. On another matter, Karake said that the government has
approved a regulation for exempting released prisoners who have served
more than 20 years in occupation prisons from paying customs duty, as
well as a regulation for covering the costs of fertility [treatments]
for released prisoners who are suffering from fertility problems. This
[will be done] in cooperation with the Ministry of Health."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 6, 2014]
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