PA officials: Imprisoned terrorists are “soldiers of the PA” and receive salaries, they should receive higher salaries
Headline: “729,000 dollars distributed to families of prisoners whose homes were demolished”
“The committee appointed by President Yasser Arafat for [distributing] compensations to families of prisoners whose homes were demolished, finished distributing the checks to the families. There are approximately 140 families from the West Bank districts, the [Gaza] Strip, and occupied Jerusalem. Yesterday, [Jan. 18, 2000] Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs, Hisham Abdul Razek met with members of the Parliamentary Education and Social Affairs Committee and informed them that the [compensation] committee had finished transferring the checks to those entitled to them last week and added that the total sum [of the distributed money] is approximately 729,000 US dollars. He elaborated and said that every prisoner from Jerusalem whose home was demolished received 7,000 dollars and every prisoner from the West Bank or Gaza Strip whose home was demolished received 5,000 dollars. He said that there are seven prisoners from Jerusalem and the rest are from the West Bank and Gaza Strip… And in a different context, [minister] Abdul Razek explained that the Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs considers anyone detained [in Israel] a soldier of the PA and therefore and accordingly, every prisoner is entitled to the full rights of an ordinary soldier in the [nation’s] service, including a salary starting at 900 shekels. Head of the Education Committee and member of Parliament, Abbas Zaki asserted that the prisoners should not be considered only as [simple] soldiers and demanded that they be awarded higher salaries and military ranks – so that the Israeli prison management would not treat them as no more than simple soldiers.”
“The committee appointed by President Yasser Arafat for [distributing] compensations to families of prisoners whose homes were demolished, finished distributing the checks to the families. There are approximately 140 families from the West Bank districts, the [Gaza] Strip, and occupied Jerusalem. Yesterday, [Jan. 18, 2000] Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs, Hisham Abdul Razek met with members of the Parliamentary Education and Social Affairs Committee and informed them that the [compensation] committee had finished transferring the checks to those entitled to them last week and added that the total sum [of the distributed money] is approximately 729,000 US dollars. He elaborated and said that every prisoner from Jerusalem whose home was demolished received 7,000 dollars and every prisoner from the West Bank or Gaza Strip whose home was demolished received 5,000 dollars. He said that there are seven prisoners from Jerusalem and the rest are from the West Bank and Gaza Strip… And in a different context, [minister] Abdul Razek explained that the Ministry of Prisoners’ Affairs considers anyone detained [in Israel] a soldier of the PA and therefore and accordingly, every prisoner is entitled to the full rights of an ordinary soldier in the [nation’s] service, including a salary starting at 900 shekels. Head of the Education Committee and member of Parliament, Abbas Zaki asserted that the prisoners should not be considered only as [simple] soldiers and demanded that they be awarded higher salaries and military ranks – so that the Israeli prison management would not treat them as no more than simple soldiers.”