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Fatah official warns of “unprecedented Israeli escalation in settlement, terror, daily invasions of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the seizure of the tax money… we will not sell the prisoners, the Martyrs, Jerusalem, or independence for money”

Headline: “Rajoub briefed Aboul Gheit and Shukri on the recent Palestinian developments”
      “Fatah Movement Central Committee Secretary Jibril Rajoub briefed Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit on the recent developments in the situation, and particularly on the political developments in Palestine… Rajoub said in a statement after the meeting: ‘We as Palestinians are standing before an unprecedented Israeli escalation in settlement, terror, daily invasions of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the seizure of the tax money – which is Palestinian money – because of what we provide to the prisoners, Martyrs (Shahids), and their families (refers to Israeli law to deduct terrorist salaries from the PA tax money; see note below –Ed.), which constitutes a permanent matter in our lives since the outbreak of the Palestinian revolution. This will create difficult financial conditions, but we will not sell the prisoners, the Martyrs, Jerusalem, or independence for money.’”

Jibril Rajoub also holds the following positions: Head of the PLO Supreme Council for Sport and Youth Affairs, Chairman of the Palestinian Football Association, Chairman of the Palestine Olympic Committee, and Chairman of the Palestinian Scout Association (PSA).

The PA and its leaders consider all of the Temple Mount an integral part of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Therefore they view any presence of Jews on the mount as an "invasion." It should be noted that Jews who visit the Temple Mount only enter some sections of the open areas, and do not enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque or the Dome of the Rock. Israeli police ban Jewish prayer at the Temple Mount because of threats of violence by Palestinians.

Law to deduct terrorist salaries from PA tax money - 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, and its first implementation was approved by Israel's Security Cabinet on Feb. 17, 2019, when it decided to withhold 502,697,000 Israeli shekels (approximately $138 million) from the PA. In response, the PA announced it would not accept any of the tax money collected by Israel unless it also included the frozen amount.
During the initial parliamentary vote in 2018, 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]

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