Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday signed an order to seize an additional 177 million shekels ($48 million) in Palestinian Authority funds and transfer them to the families of terror victims, Israel National News reported.
“Money intended for terrorists will not reach the Palestinian Authority—not as long as I am minister of finance,” Smotrich said in a statement to the outlet. “This is not just our right—it is our moral and national duty,” he added.
“We will continue to deduct, seize and transfer the funds to those who truly deserve them—the families of terror victims,” he said.
According to INN, this is the second month in a row in which the Israeli government has not transferred funds to Ramallah due to the P.A.'s ongoing encouragement of terror through its “pay-for-slay” policy.
Israel collects 600 million to 700 million shekels ($165 million to $192 million) in tax and tariff revenue on behalf of Ramallah every month under the terms of the Oslo Accords, signed with the PLO in 1994.
In July 2018, the Knesset passed a law that would allow the government to withhold the tax funds Jerusalem collects on the P.A.'s behalf in the amount that the P.A. pays to terrorists and their families every month.
Almost 1 billion shekels ($270 million) yearly goes towards the P.A.'s “pay for slay” policy, Israeli legal proceedings established last year.
P.A. leader Mahmoud Abbas said on Feb. 21 that Ramallah would not deduct a single penny from the “Martyrs’ Fund,” despite a Feb. 10 statement interpreted by some 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.
“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.
