Palestinian officials: PA will not change salaries for terrorists policy, despite US pressure
Headline: “Senior Palestinian sources to Al-Quds: The PA has not changed its position on the allowances of the Martyrs and prisoners, and it will not stop paying them; Commentators: Most of the Martyrs are civilians, and thousands of prisoners did not carry out acts of murder”
“Al-Quds learned yesterday [June 14, 2017] from senior Palestinian sources that the PA has not changed its position regarding paying the allowances (mukhassasat) to the Martyrs’ (Shahids’) families and to the prisoners, and that the statements attributed to American Secretary of State Rex Tillerson regarding the PA’s intent to stop paying these allowances are incorrect, and constitute part of the tendentious incitement campaign that [Israeli] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli media outlets are leading against the Palestinian leadership and the PA. The sources emphasized… that the Israeli incitement campaign… is behind these demands to which the Palestinian side – which has emphasized time after time that the issue of the Martyrs and prisoners is a public national issue – cannot agree… In the meantime, Director of [PLO] Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs Minister Issa Karake yesterday [June 14, 2017] emphasized that there is no truth in what was ascribed to Tillerson. He said that these news items are incorrect, and emphasized our people’s responsibility towards the families of its Martyrs and towards its prisoners, who have made all of these sacrifices for the freedom of our people and its independence.”
“Al-Quds learned yesterday [June 14, 2017] from senior Palestinian sources that the PA has not changed its position regarding paying the allowances (mukhassasat) to the Martyrs’ (Shahids’) families and to the prisoners, and that the statements attributed to American Secretary of State Rex Tillerson regarding the PA’s intent to stop paying these allowances are incorrect, and constitute part of the tendentious incitement campaign that [Israeli] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli media outlets are leading against the Palestinian leadership and the PA. The sources emphasized… that the Israeli incitement campaign… is behind these demands to which the Palestinian side – which has emphasized time after time that the issue of the Martyrs and prisoners is a public national issue – cannot agree… In the meantime, Director of [PLO] Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs Minister Issa Karake yesterday [June 14, 2017] emphasized that there is no truth in what was ascribed to Tillerson. He said that these news items are incorrect, and emphasized our people’s responsibility towards the families of its Martyrs and towards its prisoners, who have made all of these sacrifices for the freedom of our people and its independence.”