Abbas: “We are ready for a dialogue” with Israel on prisoner salary issue, but will not accept deductions
Official PA TV News, on US President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan, the Bahrain workshop, and the terrorists’ salaries
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas: “Regarding the Manama workshop (refers to US-led conference in Bahrain in late June 2019 focusing on economic aspects of US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan –Ed.), we have also said that we will not be present at this workshop and the reason is that it is not possible to examine the economic situation before there will be [an examination of] the political situation there. As long as there is no [reference to the] political situation, we will not relate to any economic situation.
Regarding our money in Israel, we have said that we will not accept this money if [part of] it is deducted (refers to PA response to Israeli Anti “Pay-for-Slay” Law to deduct terrorist salaries; see note below –Ed.). In other words, Israel must pay the money in full, and if there is any disagreement we are willing to discuss it afterwards. However, the fact that [Israel] is deducting some of the money on the pretext that we are paying Martyrs’ [families], prisoners, or wounded – this is something we will not accept. We are ready for a dialogue with them on all of the matters related to us and to them, the economic and financial matters.”
Israel's Anti "Pay-for-Slay" Law - 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 by the Israeli Parliament 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 accordance with the law, as of September 2021 Israel’s Security Cabinet had ordered the freeze of 1.857 billion shekels ($580.15 million) - the sum equivalent to the PA payments to terrorists in 2018, 2019, and 2020.