PA minister reacts to Israel’s cut to PA tax transfers: "This theft against our people and its resources is liable to endanger the financial activity… which will lead to a deterioration of the difficult financial situation"
Headline: “The [PA] Minister: The theft of our money by Israel is a blow to the national economy”
“[PA] Minister of National Economy Abir Odeh said today (Sunday) [Feb. 17, 2019] that the fact that Israel has stolen from the State of Palestine’s tax money (refers to Israeli law to deduct terrorist salaries from PA tax money; see note below –Ed.) is a violation that joins the endless Israeli violations of the Paris Economic Protocol (i.e., Paris Agreement; see note below). The minister added that this theft against our people and its resources is liable to endanger the financial activity and cause a drop in it, which will lead to a deterioration of the [already] difficult financial situation. She warned about the consequences of this decision on the different levels. Minister Odeh called on the international community to carry out its obligations regarding the Israeli decision, which contradicts international law and whose goal is to impose a siege on our people and blackmail it financially in order to execute [Israel’s] racist policy while conspiring with the American administration. Minister Odeh noted that the Palestinian [PA] government is examining the existing options to respond to this decision.”
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]
Paris Agreement – agreement on economic relations between Israel and the PLO, signed in Paris on April 29, 1994. Its main goal is to promote peace by establishing economic relations modeled on EU economic relations.
“[PA] Minister of National Economy Abir Odeh said today (Sunday) [Feb. 17, 2019] that the fact that Israel has stolen from the State of Palestine’s tax money (refers to Israeli law to deduct terrorist salaries from PA tax money; see note below –Ed.) is a violation that joins the endless Israeli violations of the Paris Economic Protocol (i.e., Paris Agreement; see note below). The minister added that this theft against our people and its resources is liable to endanger the financial activity and cause a drop in it, which will lead to a deterioration of the [already] difficult financial situation. She warned about the consequences of this decision on the different levels. Minister Odeh called on the international community to carry out its obligations regarding the Israeli decision, which contradicts international law and whose goal is to impose a siege on our people and blackmail it financially in order to execute [Israel’s] racist policy while conspiring with the American administration. Minister Odeh noted that the Palestinian [PA] government is examining the existing options to respond to this decision.”
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]
Paris Agreement – agreement on economic relations between Israel and the PLO, signed in Paris on April 29, 1994. Its main goal is to promote peace by establishing economic relations modeled on EU economic relations.