New PLO commissioner reiterates Abbas’ promise that last penny will go to the families of “Martyrs”

Official PA TV newsreader: “Tomorrow you will be officially appointed as [director] of [PLO] Commission of Prisoners and Released Prisoners’ Affairs... There are many challenges, such as laws that were recently legislated in the Israeli Parliament concerning the prisoners’ allowances and the American pressures on this issue...” Director of PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs Qadri Abu Bakr: “The implementation of this is going to constitute a large problem for us. In other words, this is a financial war. However, both [PA] President [Abbas] and the Palestinian leadership have said that not a single penny can be touched. Even if only one shekel remains - we will give it to the families of Martyrs.” 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 on July 2, 2018. During the parliamentary vote, 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] In early January 2018, the US froze two planned payments to UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) for more than $100 million, and the US administration spoke about the need to reexamine and conduct a reform of the UN body. This occurred after the PA refused to negotiate with Israel and cut diplomatic ties with America following US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Dec. 6, 2017.