Two-faced PA told NY Times salaries to terrorists will change, but told Palestinians they will “not change”
PA official to NY Times: “Palestinian prisoners’ stipends [will now be] based on their financial need instead of how long they are behind bars…”
PA official to Palestinians: “The salaries of the prisoners’ families are non-negotiable… and will not change, regardless of the circumstances and pressures.”
This week, the PA announced to the world via the New York Times that it will change its policy of rewarding terrorists with salaries based on the length of their prison time (i.e., the severity of the crime) to instead be based on the needs of the individual terrorist’s family.
However, in its usual two-faced way, to Palestinians the PA maintains that the practice of paying salaries to imprisoned and released terrorists and the families of dead terrorist “Martyrs” will continue unabated regardless of outside pressure. Director of PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs Qadri Abu Bakr who told the New York Times the PA was changing the salaries, to Palestinians “denies” having made any such comments:
“Director of Palestinian [PLO] Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs Qadri Abu Bakr denied a statement today… that was attributed to him in the paper TheNew York Times, according to which there is a proposal ‘to change the payment of the allowances of the prisoners in the Israeli occupation’s prison’ so that ‘allowances will be given to their families according to their social condition, and not according to the length of their term in prison.’”
[Al-Araby Al-Jadeed (UK), Nov. 19, 2020]
To NYT, Abu Bakr stated:
“The proposal… would give the families of Palestinian prisoners stipends based on their financial need instead of how long they are behind bars…”
“Economic need must serve as the basis… A single man should not be earning the same as someone with a family.”
[NYT, Nov. 21, 2020]
But to Palestinians he said:
“The salaries of the prisoners’ families are non-negotiable and the Palestinian leadership’s position is firm and will not change, regardless of the circumstances and pressures.”
[Official Fatah Facebook page, Nov. 19, 2020]
To the Arabic-speaking audience Abu Bakr proclaimed that he had not even discussed the imprisoned terrorists’ salaries with the NYT, but only commented in one sentence:
“In the aforementioned interview I spoke about the topic of the released prisoners and their absorption into the PA Security Forces and civilian institutions, and when I was asked about the prisoners in prison I said that ‘There are proposals that have not been dealt with and not been discussed.’”
[Al-Araby Al-Jadeed (UK), Nov. 19, 2020]
The PA official further elaborated and emphasized the PA’s unequivocal commitment to rewarding imprisoned terrorists with salaries:
“‘What currently interests us is to absorb all the released prisoners, but the topic of the prisoners in prison was not dealt with. We asked for proposals on how to protect the prisoners’ rights and how they will not become a burden as social cases, for this is unacceptable; they [represent] a clear situation of political-national struggle…’
Abu Bakr refused to have the proposals be interpreted as Palestinian submission or as a negation of the prisoners’ status as fighters [in exchange] for another status, such as social cases.
He said: ‘… Regarding the prisoners who are in prison, we cannot harm their status – whether their status in the struggle, or their national status. We, the Palestinian leadership, are committed [to them], and President Mahmoud Abbas always emphasizes that there will be no harm to the prisoners’ rights.’”[Al-Araby Al-Jadeed (UK), Nov. 19, 2020]
Abu Bakr has since the interview to the NYT stressed that he only spoke about the incorporation of released terrorists into PA jobs - a new method Palestinian Media Watch recently exposed the PA is planning to employ to reward released terrorists. Instead of receiving the financial reward for terrorism while sitting at home doing nothing, the released terrorists will receive them from the PA disguised as real salaries for “honest work” in the PA’s Security Forces and other parts of the public sector.
“Currently, many former prisoners are paid what amount to monthly pensions for sitting idle, Mr. Abu Bakr said.
‘We shouldn’t be delivering salaries to people for doing nothing,’ he said, noting that his commission had already distributed questionnaires to former prisoners about their job preferences. “’They should work for them.’”[NYT, Nov. 21, 2020]
To Arabic press Abu Bakr expanded on this, explaining that the PA has already begun to implement this new program, asking released terrorists where they would like to work, and appointing some of the 7,000 released terrorists to “governmental posts”:
“Abu Bakr said: ‘This matter was presented to [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas more than a year ago, and it was wondered why President Martyr Yasser Arafat’s decision from 1994 should not be renewed, according to which all the released prisoners will be added to the Palestinian Security Forces. After the postponement [of the decision], the number of released prisoners [who are not working] reached approximately 7,000.’ … we have sent forms to all the districts in order to absorb them in the PA institutions, and there is a decision on the topic that the president has approved… Some of them want to work in security and others in the [PA] government ministries and in institutions in the PA.’”
[Al-Araby Al-Jadeed (UK), Nov. 19, 2020]
“[Abu Bakr] said… that the Palestinian [PA] government has begun to appoint former prisoners in the Israeli prison to governmental posts. Abu Bakr explained… that this decision is meant to deal with the Israeli pressures on the PA… He noted that the decision will include 7,000 former prisoners whom the Palestinian [PA] government has paid salaries without them working.”
[Anadolu, Turkish state-run news agency, Nov. 18, 2020]
PMW has reported on the PA’s “Pay-for-Slay” program in detail since 2011.
The following are longer excerpts of the statements above:
Headline: “A senior Palestinian official denies that laws regarding the prisoners’ salaries will be amended”
“Director of Palestinian [PLO] Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs Qadri Abu Bakr denied a statement today, Thursday [Nov. 19, 2020], that was attributed to him in the paper The New York Times, according to which there is a proposal ‘to change the payment of the allowances of the prisoners in the Israeli occupation’s prison’ so that ‘allowances will be given to their families according to their social condition, and not according to the length of their term in prison.’
Abu Bakr’s denial came a day after Israeli public radio claimed yesterday, Wednesday, that the PA sent messages to Western diplomats in which it expressed willingness to change the payment mechanism of the salaries to the prisoners’ families, as a goodwill gesture towards American President-elect Joe Biden. [According to the report,] as part of the amendment the prisoners’ families will not receive money automatically according to the number of years in prison, but rather according to the family’s economic status and the number of people whom the prisoner is supporting.
Abu Bakr told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed: ‘In the aforementioned interview I spoke about the topic of the released prisoners and their absorption into the PA Security Forces and civilian institutions, and when I was asked about the prisoners in prison I said that “There are proposals that have not been dealt with and not been discussed.”’
Regarding the issue of the released prisoners’ salaries, Abu Bakr confirmed that the commission has already sent forms to all the Palestinian districts, so that every [released] prisoner will select the body where he wants to work, whether in the security field or in the civilian field. Abu Bakr said: ‘This matter was presented to [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas more than a year ago, and it was wondered why [former PLO Chairman and PA] President Martyr Yasser Arafat’s decision from 1994 should not be renewed, according to which all the released prisoners will be added to the Palestinian Security Forces. After the postponement [of the decision], the number of released prisoners [who are not working] reached approximately 7,000.’
But Abu Bakr added: ‘We are not hiding that the Israelis are attempting to convince the West that we are giving the released prisoners salaries according to the equation that whoever kills more Israelis receives a larger salary, and this is incorrect. Every prisoner who is in the occupation’s prison longer than another receives a higher salary. On the basis of this starting point, we have sent forms to all the districts in order to absorb them in the PA institutions, and there is a decision on the topic that the president has approved. A supreme committee and technical committees have already been established for this.’
Abu Bakr said that this also concerns the released prisoners themselves, because they ‘are not satisfied with their salaries being paid while they are at home. They want to feel that they have a value and output. Some of them want to work in security and others in the [PA] government ministries and in institutions in the PA.’
Regarding the salaries of the prisoners who are in the occupation’s prison, Abu Bakr said: ‘What currently interests us is to absorb all the released prisoners, but the topic of the prisoners in prison was not dealt with. We asked for proposals on how to protect the prisoners’ rights and how they will not become a burden as social cases, for this is unacceptable; they [represent] a clear situation of political-national struggle, and even if proposals will be submitted regarding them, the goal will be to avoid a targeting of the banks, because they are being threatened by the Israelis (refers to the application of much of Israel's Anti-Terror Law to the West Bank, including rendering banks liable to punishment for facilitating PA terror salaries -Ed.), and this is in the framework of principles that will preserve their dignity, their humanity, and their national status.’
Abu Bakr refused to have the proposals be interpreted as Palestinian submission or as a negation of the prisoners’ status as fighters [in exchange] for another status, such as social cases. He said: ‘On the contrary, when we say that the released prisoner will be absorbed into the institutions, we are strengthening his role as part of the society and state. Regarding the prisoners who are in prison, we cannot harm their status – whether their status in the struggle, or their national status. We, the Palestinian leadership, are committed [to them], and President Mahmoud Abbas always emphasizes that there will be no harm to the prisoners’ rights.’
The prisoner salary crisis began last year [2019], when the occupation approved a law in the Israeli Parliament, according to which there will be a deduction from the tax money that Israel collects on behalf of the PA… of an amount at a rate similar to that which the PA pays the prisoners (refers to Israel’s Anti “Pay-for-Slay” Law to deduct PA terror salaries; see note below –Ed.). Simultaneously, this year the occupation threatened the banks operating in Palestine and warned them not to deal with the prisoners’ salaries. This caused the PA to establish a supreme committee to monitor the matter, and to declare its intent to establish a governmental banking institution through which the prisoners’ salaries will be paid.
Abu Bakr said of the matter: ‘This supreme committee was established three months ago by the highest echelons, and it has members in the Fatah Movement Central Committee, [PA] government ministers, and [one of] President [Abbas’] advisor[s]. From it three secondary committees were established – the absorption committee, the legal committee whose role is to respond to the Israeli-American claim that the prisoners are terrorists, and also a security committee led by Head of the Civil Affairs Commission [in the PA] and Fatah Central Committee member Hussein Al-Sheikh.’
Abu Bakr added: ‘Regardless of the ideas, they will be for the benefit of the prisoners and will not harm their rights, but at the same time they will thwart the intentions of those who seek to harm us – Israelis and Americans alike.’”[Al-Araby Al-Jadeed (UK), Nov. 19, 2020]
Headline: “Employing released Palestinian prisoners in order to deal with Israeli pressures”
“A senior Palestinian official said on Wednesday [Nov. 18, 2020] that the Palestinian [PA] government has begun to appoint former prisoners in the Israeli prison to governmental posts.
Director of PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs Qadri Abu Bakr explained in a phone call with the [Turkish state-run news] agency Anadolu that this decision is meant to deal with the Israeli pressures on the PA…
Regarding the salaries of the current prisoners and the family members of the Martyrs, Abu Bakr explained: ‘We are working to find a new formula for paying their allowances.’
Abu Bakr said that [PA] President Mahmoud Abbas ‘decided to implement a previous decision made by late [PLO Chairman and PA] President Yasser Arafat in 2004, according to which the released prisoners will be integrated into the PA’s military and civilian institutions.’
He noted that the decision will include 7,000 former prisoners whom the Palestinian [PA] government has paid salaries without them working.”[Anadolu, Turkish state-run news agency, Nov. 18, 2020]
Image and text posted on the official Fatah Facebook page
The image shows Director of PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs Qadri Abu Bakr.
Posted text: “[Director of PLO Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs Qadri] Abu Bakr: The salaries of the prisoners’ families are non-negotiable
Nov. 19, 2020
This evening, Thursday, [Nov. 19, 2020,] Director of Commission of Prisoners and Released Prisoners’ Affairs Qadri Abu Bakr emphasized that the salaries of the prisoners’ families are non-negotiable and the Palestinian leadership’s position is firm and will not change, regardless of the circumstances and pressures.
Abu Bakr explained that the prisoners’ cause is at the top of the Palestinian leadership’s list of priorities, and that their families are a responsibility of all the Palestinians and will not be left by themselves, and [PA] President [Mahmoud Abbas] has emphasized this in a completely clear manner, particularly on everything regarding providing a dignified life for their families and children.
Abu Bakr added: ‘We are not afraid of the fact that there is an unprecedented attack against the prisoners and their families’ salaries, and the commission must take care of their affairs. We are capable of resisting this attack, which all the elements of the occupation have been mobilized to carry it out.’
Abu Bakr expressed appreciation for the decision of President Mahmoud Abbas and [PA] Prime Minister [Muhammad Shtayyeh] to absorb released prisoners who received salaries from the commission, and whose number exceeds 7,000 prisoners, into the State of Palestine’s civilian and military institutions, and said that this step has great significance.”[Official Fatah Facebook page, Nov. 19, 2020]