PA children unable to receive medical treatment due to PA’s self-imposed financial crisis over terror salaries

Headline: "The child Muhammad Musleh, a victim of the theft of Palestinian money by the occupation"

"The child Muhammad Musleh, does not know what awaits him if he does not get cochlear implant surgery, and he also does not know that he is a victim of the financial crisis that is shaking the PA due to the occupation's theft (i.e., referring to the Israeli Anti "Pay-to Slay" Law to deduct terror salaries; see note below –Ed.).

Muhammad is at an age where he cannot understand financial and political crises, and if his treatment is delayed it is liable to permanently damage his sense of hearing, which is a nightmare for his parents.

The child's case is now in the hands of the Arab Bethlehem Rehabilitation Association that has emphasized that it is taking care of performing cochlear implant surgeries on all children who need it. The association explained that the problem is that there are no cochlear devices as a result of the accumulation of debts of the company that imports them that has stopped the importation… The association, that has an agreement with the [PA] Ministry of Health for the implantation of cochlear [devices], said that the grave financial conditions as a result of the occupation's siege and theft have led to stopping the referrals for cochlear [implants] and such.

Medical Director of the [Arab Bethlehem Rehabilitation] Association Dr. Qamsiya… revealed: We have 250 patients who are waiting for treatment. We have done cochlear implants in 79 patients, 70 of them referred by the Ministry of Health, which has shouldered the financial burden in accordance with the agreement. We are currently suffering from crises and are working with the Ministry of Health to resolve them."

Israel's Anti "Pay-for-Slay" Law - Israeli law stating that the PA payments to terrorists and the families of dead terrorists is a financial incentive to terror. The law instructs the state to deduct and freeze the amount of money the PA pays in salaries to imprisoned terrorists and families of "Martyrs" from the tax money Israel collects for the PA. Should the PA stop these payments for a full year, the Israeli government would have the option of giving all or part of the frozen money to the PA. The law was enacted by the Israeli Parliament on July 2, 2018. During the parliamentary vote, the law's sponsor Avi Dichter said: “The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee received much help in its deliberations... from Palestinian Media Watch who provided us with authentic data that enabled productive and professional deliberations, nuances that are very difficult to achieve without precise data.” [Israeli Parliament website, July 2, 2018] In accordance with the law, as of September 2021 Israel’s Security Cabinet had ordered the freeze of 1.857 billion shekels ($580.15 million) - the sum equivalent to the PA payments to terrorists in 2018, 2019, and 2020.