Minister Lieberman
Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg
Defense Ministry's bill proposes to divert terrorist salaries to terror-victims fund
Defense Ministry proposes bill to deduct payments PA transfers to convicted terrorists and their families from tax funds collected by Israel on behalf of PA; PA pays prisoners, terrorists, their families NIS 1.2 billion annually as incentive to kill Israelis; terrorists from Jerusalem, those with wife, kids, get bonuses.
The Defense Ministry is proposing a bill to deduct sums paid to terrorists from tax monies collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA), in light of the Authority’s protocol of wiring monthly payments to convicted terrorists.
The money will be set aside in a special fund, set to have three uses: remuneration for victims of terror who were awarded damages in court, financing for a project that fights terrorism funding and to improve civil infrastructure such as roads and lighting, thus boosting security.
Families of terror victims (Photo: Yoav Dudkevitch)
As was recently revealed by the Defense Ministry, payments by the Palestinian Authority to Palestinian prisoners, released prisoners, families of terrorists and those injured by Israel amounted to NIS 1.2 billion annually.
It can be said that these funds are a direct incentive for terrorists, as the average wage among West Bank Palestinians is NIS 2,000 while a terrorist who is a resident of Israel, married with three children and serving a life sentence can receive NIS 10,950 a month.
In 2017, the PA paid Palestinian prisoners and released prisoners more than NIS 550 million, and NIS 687 million to families of suicide bombers. These amount to 7 percent of the budget of the PA, which nevertheless maintains it does not engage in terrorism.
A terrorist sentenced to 3-5 years in prison, meanwhile, receives NIS 2,000 a month, while one who was sentenced to between 20-35 years receives NIS 10,000 a month for the rest of his life.
A married terrorist receives an additional NIS 300 a month and another NIS 50 per child. Terrorists who are residents of Jerusalem receive another NIS 300 and those with Israeli citizenship a further NIS 500.
According to the bill, at the end of each year, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman will present the year's statistics to Cabinet and they will decide on the appropriate deduction from funds transferred to the PA.
