The Palestinian National Council: “Support and aid to the heroic prisoners… are a national obligation of the highest order, impossible to compromise”
Headline: “The [Palestinian] National Council: The aid to the prisoners and the Martyrs’ families is a national obligation on which it is impossible to compromise”
“The Palestinian National Council (i.e., the legislative body of the PLO) emphasized that the support and aid to the heroic prisoners and their families, as well as to the families of the heroic Martyrs (Shahids) and wounded, are a national obligation of the highest order on which it is impossible to compromise or submit to extortion.
In a press statement today, Monday [June 12, 2017], the National Council opposed the bill that the Ministerial Committee for Legislation in the Israeli Parliament (sic., the bill has not yet been passed by the Israeli Parliament) approved yesterday, which orders a deduction of the allowances (mukhassasat) of the prisoners and their families and the families of the Palestinian Martyrs from the PA tax money that Israel collects on its behalf.
The Council said that this bill comes as part of a series of steps, policies, and laws that were intended to harm the sanctity of the struggle of the prisoners, Martyrs, and wounded, to bring about a renunciation of their rights, and to pressure the PA to stop paying these allowances to the families of the Palestinian Martyrs, prisoners, and wounded.
The National Council explained that Israel’s racist decisions and its laws violate the agreements that were signed with it, and we cannot commit to them unilaterally. Israel has already recognized the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people in the Oslo Accords, and it cannot put its institutions on the terror [list], as happened with the Palestinian National Fund (see note below –Ed.). This fund was one of the most important institutions of the PLO, and it carries out its role to help the families of the Palestinian Martyrs and prisoners.
[The Palestinian National Council] said: ‘These aggressive Israeli steps will warrant a strong response from our people and its institutions, relying on international law and the international conventions that have provided us with the right to liberate our land and defend ourselves from the occupation (i.e., UN Resolution 3236, see note below –Ed.).’ It emphasized that these steps and laws are part of the slandering of our people’s struggle and the ongoing incitement against it.”
PNF declared terrorist organization by Liberman:
On March 16, 2017, Israeli Minister of Defense Avigdor Liberman declared the Palestinian National Fund of the PLO a terrorist organization. The fund manages financial aid received by the PLO from different sources. The Israeli Ministry of Defense declare the fund a terror organization due to the fund's "massive support for elements responsible for committing severe acts of terrorism against Israel," and stated that the fund serves "as a significant financial pipeline for tens of millions of shekels that are transferred on a monthly basis to security prisoners held in Israel for committing acts of terrorism and to members of their families," and that "the fund also supports family members of terrorists who were wounded and killed while perpetrating acts of terrorism against Israel." It also stated that "the necessary steps will be taken, in Israel and abroad, to seize and forfeit the property and money belonging to the fund.”
Palestinian Media Watch has documented that the PA uses the Palestinian National Fund to transfer money for terrorist salaries to the PLO.
UN resolution 3236 - PA leaders and officials have legitimized Palestinian violence by quoting UN resolution 3236 which "recognizes the right of the Palestinian people to regain its rights by all means." The PA interprets "all means" as including violence against civilians, but has chosen to ignore the continuation of the resolution which states that the use of "all means" should be "in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations..." The UN Charter prohibits targeting civilians, even in war. Chapter 1, Article 1, opens by saying that "international disputes" should be resolved "by peaceful means."
“The Palestinian National Council (i.e., the legislative body of the PLO) emphasized that the support and aid to the heroic prisoners and their families, as well as to the families of the heroic Martyrs (Shahids) and wounded, are a national obligation of the highest order on which it is impossible to compromise or submit to extortion.
In a press statement today, Monday [June 12, 2017], the National Council opposed the bill that the Ministerial Committee for Legislation in the Israeli Parliament (sic., the bill has not yet been passed by the Israeli Parliament) approved yesterday, which orders a deduction of the allowances (mukhassasat) of the prisoners and their families and the families of the Palestinian Martyrs from the PA tax money that Israel collects on its behalf.
The Council said that this bill comes as part of a series of steps, policies, and laws that were intended to harm the sanctity of the struggle of the prisoners, Martyrs, and wounded, to bring about a renunciation of their rights, and to pressure the PA to stop paying these allowances to the families of the Palestinian Martyrs, prisoners, and wounded.
The National Council explained that Israel’s racist decisions and its laws violate the agreements that were signed with it, and we cannot commit to them unilaterally. Israel has already recognized the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people in the Oslo Accords, and it cannot put its institutions on the terror [list], as happened with the Palestinian National Fund (see note below –Ed.). This fund was one of the most important institutions of the PLO, and it carries out its role to help the families of the Palestinian Martyrs and prisoners.
[The Palestinian National Council] said: ‘These aggressive Israeli steps will warrant a strong response from our people and its institutions, relying on international law and the international conventions that have provided us with the right to liberate our land and defend ourselves from the occupation (i.e., UN Resolution 3236, see note below –Ed.).’ It emphasized that these steps and laws are part of the slandering of our people’s struggle and the ongoing incitement against it.”
PNF declared terrorist organization by Liberman:
On March 16, 2017, Israeli Minister of Defense Avigdor Liberman declared the Palestinian National Fund of the PLO a terrorist organization. The fund manages financial aid received by the PLO from different sources. The Israeli Ministry of Defense declare the fund a terror organization due to the fund's "massive support for elements responsible for committing severe acts of terrorism against Israel," and stated that the fund serves "as a significant financial pipeline for tens of millions of shekels that are transferred on a monthly basis to security prisoners held in Israel for committing acts of terrorism and to members of their families," and that "the fund also supports family members of terrorists who were wounded and killed while perpetrating acts of terrorism against Israel." It also stated that "the necessary steps will be taken, in Israel and abroad, to seize and forfeit the property and money belonging to the fund.”
Palestinian Media Watch has documented that the PA uses the Palestinian National Fund to transfer money for terrorist salaries to the PLO.
UN resolution 3236 - PA leaders and officials have legitimized Palestinian violence by quoting UN resolution 3236 which "recognizes the right of the Palestinian people to regain its rights by all means." The PA interprets "all means" as including violence against civilians, but has chosen to ignore the continuation of the resolution which states that the use of "all means" should be "in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations..." The UN Charter prohibits targeting civilians, even in war. Chapter 1, Article 1, opens by saying that "international disputes" should be resolved "by peaceful means."