Abbas criticizes Israeli Nation-State law, claims Yigal Amir is being paid by Israel, promises to continue paying terrorists “even if we need to cut from our flesh”
Official PA TV, speech by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas at the opening of the 29th session of the PLO Central Council
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas: “These [protest] rallies must continue until this [Jewish Nation-State] Law falls, and likewise the laws according to which the Israeli government intends to deduct the Palestinians’ money from the tax money, because of what we pay to the prisoners and to the families of the Martyrs (Shahids) and the wounded [should fall.] (refers to Israeli law deducting terror salaries from PA tax money; see note below –Ed.)
Israel considers them criminals, and [thinks] that we should leave them and their family members to suffer from hunger. And you know, gentlemen, that the first thing that [former PLO and PA Chairman Yasser] Arafat did after the firing of the first bullet (i.e., Fatah’s first terror attack in 1965; see note below –Ed.) was to establish the institution to support the Martyrs of the Palestinian people and its prisoners… because he understood the importance of those who sacrificed and struggled. We will not allow [this] under any circumstance, and we will not allow Israel to do this. Even if we need to cut from our flesh, we will continue to give the support and aid to the members of our people and will not agree to them [Israel] deducting from the tax money, and if need be then there are steps that we will talk about in the future…
[And this is] at the same time that Israel [is taking care of] all the criminals, and prime among them the one [Yigal Amir] who murdered [former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak] Rabin. He is in prison, true, but they let him be at home, outside, three or four days a week (sic., Amir is not being let out of prison). They married him off, and let him have children, I don’t know how (refers to his marriage while in prison and conjugal visits that led to the birth of his son –Ed.). They married him off and let him have children. He had [children] and sits there while four bodies pay him (Israel does not pay prisoners; see note below –Ed.)…
There are those who now consider [Gaza’s] cause as a solely humanitarian cause, [saying:] ‘We must help people there from a humanitarian perspective and that’s it, enough.’
…
What happened that the US woke up now and is completely humane with a gentle soul, in order to defend and support our people there? By Allah, they are liars and I will say no more than that.”
Jewish Nation-State Law – law passed by the Israeli Parliament on July 19, 2018, which codifies in Israel's Basic Law that Israel is the home of the Jewish nation with Jerusalem its capital, and the Hebrew calendar its official calendar. It establishes Hebrew as the sole official language and grants Arabic a special status, and it recognizes Jewish and Israeli holidays, memorial days, and the Jewish Sabbath as national holidays and days of rest - while guaranteeing the right of all Israeli citizens and residents to celebrate their holidays and days of rest.
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]
Bombing of Israel's National Water Carrier - On Jan. 1, 1965, Palestinian terrorists attempted to bomb Israel's National Water Carrier. This was the first attack against Israel carried out by Fatah. Fatah refers to the attack as the “Intilaqa”, meaning “the Launch” of Fatah.
Palestinian claim that Israel pays Israeli prisoners:
Contrary to the Palestinian claims, Israel does not make any payments to Israeli prisoners. Israel’s Social Security Law states specifically that, notwithstanding any entitlement, benefits due to a person held in prison will not be paid. In some cases, even child benefits that are paid to the parents of a minor are stopped, if that minor is convicted and sentenced to a prison sentence. Similarly, a person who is entitled to an Insured Income from the State loses that entitlement for any time he is held in prison following a criminal conviction. Furthermore, accepting the Palestinian claim that Israel makes payments to Israeli prisoners would lead to the untenable conclusion that Israel pays a salary even to Israeli Arab prisoners who carried out terrorist attacks against other Israeli citizens.
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas: “These [protest] rallies must continue until this [Jewish Nation-State] Law falls, and likewise the laws according to which the Israeli government intends to deduct the Palestinians’ money from the tax money, because of what we pay to the prisoners and to the families of the Martyrs (Shahids) and the wounded [should fall.] (refers to Israeli law deducting terror salaries from PA tax money; see note below –Ed.)
Israel considers them criminals, and [thinks] that we should leave them and their family members to suffer from hunger. And you know, gentlemen, that the first thing that [former PLO and PA Chairman Yasser] Arafat did after the firing of the first bullet (i.e., Fatah’s first terror attack in 1965; see note below –Ed.) was to establish the institution to support the Martyrs of the Palestinian people and its prisoners… because he understood the importance of those who sacrificed and struggled. We will not allow [this] under any circumstance, and we will not allow Israel to do this. Even if we need to cut from our flesh, we will continue to give the support and aid to the members of our people and will not agree to them [Israel] deducting from the tax money, and if need be then there are steps that we will talk about in the future…
[And this is] at the same time that Israel [is taking care of] all the criminals, and prime among them the one [Yigal Amir] who murdered [former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak] Rabin. He is in prison, true, but they let him be at home, outside, three or four days a week (sic., Amir is not being let out of prison). They married him off, and let him have children, I don’t know how (refers to his marriage while in prison and conjugal visits that led to the birth of his son –Ed.). They married him off and let him have children. He had [children] and sits there while four bodies pay him (Israel does not pay prisoners; see note below –Ed.)…
There are those who now consider [Gaza’s] cause as a solely humanitarian cause, [saying:] ‘We must help people there from a humanitarian perspective and that’s it, enough.’
…
What happened that the US woke up now and is completely humane with a gentle soul, in order to defend and support our people there? By Allah, they are liars and I will say no more than that.”
Jewish Nation-State Law – law passed by the Israeli Parliament on July 19, 2018, which codifies in Israel's Basic Law that Israel is the home of the Jewish nation with Jerusalem its capital, and the Hebrew calendar its official calendar. It establishes Hebrew as the sole official language and grants Arabic a special status, and it recognizes Jewish and Israeli holidays, memorial days, and the Jewish Sabbath as national holidays and days of rest - while guaranteeing the right of all Israeli citizens and residents to celebrate their holidays and days of rest.
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]
Bombing of Israel's National Water Carrier - On Jan. 1, 1965, Palestinian terrorists attempted to bomb Israel's National Water Carrier. This was the first attack against Israel carried out by Fatah. Fatah refers to the attack as the “Intilaqa”, meaning “the Launch” of Fatah.
Palestinian claim that Israel pays Israeli prisoners:
Contrary to the Palestinian claims, Israel does not make any payments to Israeli prisoners. Israel’s Social Security Law states specifically that, notwithstanding any entitlement, benefits due to a person held in prison will not be paid. In some cases, even child benefits that are paid to the parents of a minor are stopped, if that minor is convicted and sentenced to a prison sentence. Similarly, a person who is entitled to an Insured Income from the State loses that entitlement for any time he is held in prison following a criminal conviction. Furthermore, accepting the Palestinian claim that Israel makes payments to Israeli prisoners would lead to the untenable conclusion that Israel pays a salary even to Israeli Arab prisoners who carried out terrorist attacks against other Israeli citizens.