Abbas reports PA will continue to pay “martyr” salaries, despite Israel’s cuts; PA: The Palestinian people may not be compromised by political money.

 The Palestinian Authority (PA) announced it would not accept tax revenues collected by Israel after it deducted funds paid by the PA for its ongoing “terror salaries”.

 Under new Israeli legislature, Israel will now deduct the amount paid to “martyrs” and their families, alongside water, energy and medical services costs. After deducting an additional 5% for the terrorism funds, approximately $138 million, the PA announced it would not receive the payment.

 The Palestinian Authority pays the families of terrorists for attacks on Israeli citizens. Referred to as the “Palestinian Authority Martyrs Fund”, monthly stipends, anywhere from $800 to $3,000, are given to the families of terrorists. The fund includes resources for incarcerated Palestinian terrorists and their families, as well as funds for the families of terrorists who were killed by Israeli security forces.

 PA President Mahmoud Abbas condemned Israel’s deductions, announcing that payments for “martyrs” would still continue, despite economic incentives from both Israel and the United States. Abbas claimed Wednesday, “Israel claims that the Palestinian Authority transfers funds to terrorists and therefore wants to offset these funds… Frankly, we do not want to receive these funds and every penny we have we will transfer to the families of the martyrs.”

 Senior Palestinian Authority politician, Ahmad Majdalani, claimed earlier this week that the United States and Israel’s’ efforts through financial sanctions are in violation of international law and “international legitimacy”. He alleged that Israel believes its cutting of funds to the PA would “comply with the so-called economic peace plan at the expense of political and legal rights of the Palestinian people… The Palestinian people may not be compromised by political money.”

 These developments follow reports that the Trump Administration will merge its US Consulate General in Jerusalem with the US Embassy next month. The Consulate has served the Palestinian population, the merge to occur ahead of the Trump Administration’s peace deal publication set for April following Israel’s elections.

Photo: Roman Yanushevsky/Shutterstock.com