Fatah deputy chairman: Prisoners are "heroes and fighters." We will pay them “even if we’re only left with a few pennies"

Official PA TV, broadcast of an official Fatah event marking the 16th anniversary of the arrest of terrorist Marwan Barghouti, who orchestrated three shooting attacks in which 5 were murdered; in attendance: Fatah Deputy Chairman and Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Aloul, Fatah Central Committee member and Fatah Commissioner for Arab and China Relations Abbas Zaki, Barghouti’s wife Fadwa Barghouti, Chairwoman of the PLO Families of the Martyrs and Wounded Institution Intisar Al-Wazir, Arab Israeli Parliament Member Ahmad Tibi, and Fatah Central Committee member and PLO Central Council member Jamal Muhaisen

Official PA TV reporter: “Sixteen years have passed since the kidnapping (sic., arrest) and imprisonment of commander Marwan Barghouti (i.e., terrorist who orchestrated three shooting attacks in which 5 were murdered) in the occupation’s prisons. The Palestinian National Liberation Movement Fatah marked this anniversary in the presence of several members of its Central Committee and of the leadership of the PLO factions, and an audience of our people, emphasizing the leadership’s efforts to empty all of the prisons.”

Fatah Deputy Chairman and Fatah Central Committee member Mahmoud Al-Aloul: "We are speaking about [imprisoned] heroes and fighters, about freedom fighters. We will continue to support them and struggle for their freedom, and we will refuse to bargain over this. We oppose the American Congress’ decisions on this matter. Even if we are left with only a few pennies, we will allocate them only to the families of the Martyrs and to the prisoners."
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“The American Congress’ decisions” possibly refers to the Taylor Force Act - a bill named after US citizen Taylor Force who was murdered by a Palestinian terrorist in Tel Aviv on March 8, 2016, which calls to cut almost all funding to the PA if it continues paying salaries to terrorists and allowances to families of "Martyrs." On March 23, 2018, the bill was approved by the American Congress and signed into law by US President Donald Trump.