Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar on Monday accused Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas of trying to “fool the world” by firing his finance minister, reportedly over “unauthorized payments” to terrorists.
Firing Omar Bitar “will not absolve ... Mahmoud Abbas, and the P.A., of their complicity in Pay-for-Slay and responsibility for the ongoing payments to terrorists and their families,” Sa’ar tweeted.
“The Palestinian Authority is trying to fool the world. It won’t work. The truth is stronger,” Jerusalem’s top diplomat added, writing in English.
Ramallah’s official Wafa agency had reported earlier on Monday that P.A. Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Istifan Salameh would be replacing Bitar, though no reasons were provided for Bitar’s dismissal.
Anonymous P.A. sources told The Media Line that Bitar had transferred funds to terrorists in Israeli prisons through a mechanism Ramallah had ostensibly reformed amid U.S. and European pressure.
The reformed mechanism, which Bitar reportedly bypassed, brands the terror stipends as “welfare support,” and the payment allocation system was transferred from an official P.A. ministry to an “independent” foundation controlled by Ramallah.
Sa’ar told reporters in Budapest on Oct. 27 that “contrary to the P.A.'s promises in English, they are continuing their pay-for-slay policy. Paying salaries to terrorists and their families for murdering Jews and Israelis has been Palestinian law since 2004 and until this very day. They just changed the method. The terrorists are collecting their payments from the Palestinian post office.”
Almost 1 billion shekels ($270 million) yearly goes toward Ramallah’s “pay for slay” policy, under which it disburses monthly “salaries” to terrorists and their families, legal proceedings established in 2024.
Abbas said on Feb. 21 that he would not deduct a single penny from the prisoners and the “Martyrs’ Fund,” despite a Feb. 10 statement that had been interpreted by some countries as ending the controversial policy.
“We again emphasize that we are proud of the sacrifices made by the martyrs, prisoners and wounded,” the P.A. chief declared in a speech.
“I told you once and I stand by my word: Even if we have [only] one penny left, it is for the prisoners and the martyrs,” Abbas continued, echoing previous remarks made during a 2018 address in Ramallah.
