Israeli MPs thank PMW as Israel passes law to deduct terror money from the PA
Israeli MPs thank PMW
as Israel passes law to deduct terror money
from the PA
from the PA
MP Avi Dichter, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee:
"Palestinian Media Watch provided us with authentic data that enabled productive and professional deliberations, nuances that are very difficult to achieve without precise data"
MP Elazar Stern:
"I want to thank... [PMW Director] Itamar Marcus ... and everyone who has pushed and accompanied this committee for a long time"
The two Israeli MPs who sponsored the law each thanked PMW during the parliamentary voting session, noting the unique importance of PMW's input and documentation.
Prior to the vote, MP Avi Dichter, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee said:
"The Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee received much help in its deliberations, from the families of terror victims and those wounded by terror attacks who came to the discussions and shared their views with us, and with them were people 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]
Following the vote and the passage of the law, MP Elazar Stern said: "I want to thank... [PMW Director] Itamar Marcus ... and everyone who has pushed and accompanied this committee for a long time."
The new law
According to the new law, the Israeli Defense Ministry each year will calculate how much the PA has spent to pay terrorist prisoners and families of so-called "Martyrs", and this will be deducted from the money Israel collects in taxes on behalf of the PA. In 2018 the PA has budgeted 1.2 billion shekels for these terror reward payments (approx. $350 million). The money Israel deducts will be frozen and held indefinitely. Should the Defense Ministry report that the PA did not pay terrorist salaries or allowances to families of "Martyrs" for a full year, the Israeli government would have the option of giving all or part of the frozen money to the PA.