Salaries rewarding terrorists won’t be stopped, says Director of PLO Commission of Prisoners

Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik | Oct 2, 2018

Salaries rewarding terrorists won't be stopped,

says Director of PLO Commission of Prisoners

Abbas on terrorists: "Stars in the sky of the Palestinian people"

Abbas: "Even if we have only a penny left it will only be spent on the families of the Martyrs and the prisoners, and only afterwards will it be spent on the rest of the people"

By Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

Ignoring the international criticism and condemnation of the Palestinian Authority's rewarding terrorist murderers with generous salaries, Director of the PLO Commission of Prisoners' Affairs, Qadri Abu Bakr, has emphasized that these salaries will continue:

"Director of [PLO] Commission of Prisoners and Released Prisoners' Affairs Qadri Abu Bakr emphasized that the leadership, led by [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas, will continue to support the resolve of the prisoners and their families and will not succumb to the Israeli and American pressures calling to stop the Martyrs' (Shahids) and prisoners' salaries (rawatib) and allowances (mukhassasat)."

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Sept. 21, 2018]

Abu Bakr further "expressed his pride in the prisoners, who did not hesitate to sacrifice years of their lives for the freedom of the country and the people..."

Abu Bakr echoed PA Chairman Abbas who recently said that Palestinian terrorists and murderers are "stars in the sky":

Abbas: "We view the Martyrs and prisoners as stars in the sky of the Palestinian people and the sky of the Palestinian people's struggle, and they have priority in everything..."

[Official Palestinian Authority TV, July 24, 2018]

Abbas also stated that the last Palestinian penny would be spent on prisoners before being used for ongoing PA expenses. Abbas can say this because he knows that while foreign donors refuse to pay salaries to Palestinian terrorists many are willing to fund other PA expenses.

Ironically, while the foreign donors are condemning the PA's paying $355 million in payments to terrorist prisoners and families of terrorist "Martyrs", simultaneously they are the ones facilitating these terror rewards by covering the other expenses. 44% of the amount the PA receives from foreign donors is spent by the PA on terror rewards.

PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas: "By Allah, even if we have only a penny left it will only be spent on the families of the Martyrs and the prisoners, and only afterwards will it be spent on the rest of the people. This is a group that we appreciate and respect, and we consider it the one paving the way to Palestine's independence for the future generations."

Palestinian Media Watch first exposed and has documented the PA's payment of salaries to terrorists and murderers since 2011. It is this documentation that led to international pressure on the PA, the American Taylor Force Act, which has cut almost all funding to the PA because it continues paying salaries to terrorists and allowances to families of "Martyrs," and to the Israeli law to deduct terror payments from PA tax money.

The following are longer excerpts of Abbas' and Abu Bakr's statements:

Headline: "Abu Bakr: The Israeli and American pressures will not prevent us from continuing [to fulfill] our obligation"

This was said during Abu Bakr's meeting with families of Jerusalem prisoners and released prisoners at the municipality hall in the village of Al-Eizariya, in the presence of [Jerusalem] District Governor Adnan Ghaith...

Abu Bakr explained that the Israeli and American activity in the international arena is extensive and ongoing, and its goal is to create a stereotype of the Palestinian prisoners and to present them as terrorists. He noted that the US is attempting to use its international influence in order to realize the Israeli occupation's goals.

Abu Bakr expressed his pride in the prisoners, who did not hesitate to sacrifice years of their lives for the freedom of the country and the people that has been suffering for seven decades from the worst occupation known to history."

[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Sept. 21, 2018]

Official PA TV reporter: "With these words [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed a group of released prisoners and honored the leadership of the movement of prisoners, who sacrificed their souls and lives for the defense of their people and homeland. The president gave a number of Martyrs and prisoners the Jerusalem Medal in recognition of their role and their honorable national struggle. [The Martyrs] ascended [to Heaven] in defense of their people and homeland..."

PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas: "We view the Martyrs and prisoners as stars in the sky of the Palestinian people and the sky of the Palestinian people's struggle, and they have priority in everything..."

Fatah Central Committee Secretary Jibril Rajoub: "On behalf of all the prisoners, and prime among them this group - whether they are the families of the Martyrs who were giants and mighty, or whether they are those who are still alive (i.e., the prisoners) - we thank you [Abbas] for the gesture, which is appreciation for the sector considered the most important and essential in confronting this occupation for the last 51 years."

[Official Palestinian Authority TV, July 24, 2018]

Jibril Rajoub also holds the following positions: Chairman of the Palestinian Football Association, Chairman of the Palestine Olympic Committee, and Chairman of the Palestinian Scout Association (PSA).

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.

Salaries rewarding terrorists won’t be stopped, says Director of PLO Commission of Prisoners

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