PLO official defends the PA practice of paying salaries to terrorists, calling threats to deduct tax money in the amount of the salaries paid an act of “robbery and theft”

“PLO Executive Committee member [and Secretary-General of the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front] Ahmed Majdalani… explained to the official [PA] radio [station] The Voice of Palestine yesterday [Jan. 8, 2018], …in response to the Israeli threats to deduct part of the tax money on the grounds that it is paid as salaries (rawatib) to the families of the Martyrs (Shahids) and prisoners, that this matter is unacceptable and contradicts the agreements that were signed and that will now be reexamined. He said that these threats are a new act of robbery and theft of the Palestinian people’s money. He also emphasized that the PA and the leadership have full freedom to do as they please with this tax money and to give it to whomever they please.”