Would you give your last penny to a murderer?
Would you give your last penny to a murderer?
Abbas: “We are dedicating all attention to the topic of the prisoners. Even if we are left with just one penny, we will pay it to those heroes”
Would you give your last penny to a murderer?
No, right!?
But PA Chairman Abbas would.
Again and again – despite international criticism and donors cutting off aid – Abbas has ensured Palestinians that his “last penny” will go to terrorists and murderers - be they imprisoned, released, or dead as “Martyrs.”
Abbas is adamant about this and recently vowed yet again:
“During a speech… at the evening meeting of the [PLO] Central Council…
On the topic of the prisoners, the president said: ‘We are dedicating all attention to the topic of the prisoners. Even if we are left with just one penny, we will pay it to those heroes who we must protect and whose families [we must] listen to.’”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 8, 2022]
Fatah Revolutionary Council member Abd Al-Ilah Atteereh reiterated Abbas’ insurance that terrorists will continue to be rewarded in full, specifically stressing the PA’s disregard for international donors’ demands to stop incentivizing and rewarding terror with salaries to the perpetrators, and instead turn the salaries into social aid:
“Yesterday [Feb. 7, 2022] the [PLO] Central Council led by [PA] President [Mahmoud Abbas] determined that our last penny will be directed to the wounded and the Martyrs, despite all the pressures that are being exerted on us from the Europeans, the Americans, or the Israelis, who tell us: Turn these salaries (i.e., PA salaries to imprisoned, wounded, and dead terrorists) into welfare allowances.”
[Official PA TV, Feb. 8, 2022]
Fatah Movement Revolutionary Council member Iyad Nasr likewise emphasized Abbas’ and the PA’s determination not to give into any foreign pressure to stop the terrorists’ salaries:
“Fatah will continue to be the firm dam defending the national project and will stand behind the cause of its sons the prisoners and freedom prisoners, and we are the most loyal to the sacrifices and struggle of our people. He emphasized that the prisoners’ cause was and will remain at the top of the priorities ever since late Martyr founder [former PLO Chairman and PA President] Yasser Arafat and [until PA] President Mahmoud Abbas, who rejects every attempt and financial pressure regarding the prisoners.”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 17, 2022]
Abbas also added that the imprisoned terrorists and murderers are everyone’s responsibility:
“The president emphasized that all of us on the official and popular level need to give aid to the prisoners, as they are our people’s most important cause. He noted that we will not abandon them and that we will defend them.”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 8, 2022]
Official PA TV is also used to stress the message that terrorists – “our Martyrs, prisoners, and wounded” - are worthy of praise, honor, and money because they “are the most sanctified that we have.” Palestinian Media Watch exposed this statement by Abbas in 2019. His words have since been turned into a filler between broadcasts on PA TV and has been shown dozens of times since, most recently this January:
The video has been broadcast on official PA TV at least 48 times:
PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas: "Israel came and said that the Martyrs are criminals, terrorists, and murderers. Shame on you Israel! We will never agree to abandon our Martyrs… Our Martyrs, prisoners, and wounded are the most sanctified that we have. We will not agree to waive our money in full. Our Martyrs have a right to this money."
[Official PA TV, Nov. 11 (twice), 12 (twice), 15 (three times), 18 (twice), 30, Dec. 2, 4, 10, 12, 23, 24, 26 (twice) 28, 2019,Jan. 6, 16, 18, 26, Feb. 4, 13, June 8, 25, July 14, 16, 19, 23, Oct. 8, 11,15, Nov. 3, 17, 2020; Jan. 19, March 14, April 4, 5, May 1, Aug. 16, Sept. 8, 26, Nov. 17, 2021; Jan. 12, 2022; Official PA TV Live, June 25, 27, 2020]
The idea of creating the joint Palestinian responsibility for all the terrorists is essential for the PA to justify the terror reward payments. The PA employs hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. As a result of PMW exposing the PA terror payments, foreign donations to the PA have plummeted by 90%. This has resulted in an ever-increasing PA budget deficit. To contend with the deficit, the PA has announced that it will only pay its law abiding employees 80% of the salaries to which they are entitled. As part of the effort to explain and justify the cumulative cost of the salaries to terrorists, Abbas is desperately trying to persuade Palestinian society that the entire Palestinian population is responsible for maintaining the payments:
“The president [Abbas] emphasized that all of us on the official and popular level need to give aid to the prisoners, as they are our people’s most important cause. He noted that we will not abandon them and that we will defend them.”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 8, 2022]
As a consequence, civil servants are paid less:
Official PA TV newsreader: “The Palestinian [PA] Ministry of Finance announced the payment of the [PA] public employees’ salaries for January [2022] next Wednesday [Jan. 5, 2022], at a sum that constitutes 80% of the salary, with the minimum [salary] being 2,650 [Israeli] shekels. The [Ministry of] Finance noted that according to the [PA] government’s decision, the difference in salary will constitute a right for the public employees, which will be paid when the necessary monetary capabilities enable this.”
[Official PA TV, Jan. 4, 2022]
The following are longer excerpts of the reports cited above:
“[PA] President Mahmoud Abbas said: ‘We have nothing more important and precious than Jerusalem, and we dedicate all attention to it. It must be given supreme importance, beyond our capabilities. Supporting the resolve of its residents is a priority from our perspective, until it is liberated from the occupation.’
During a speech he gave yesterday [Feb. 7, 2022] at the evening meeting of the [PLO] Central Council, the president added: ‘Jerusalem is the eternal capital of the State of Palestine, and we have not conceded on it. We will give all support to it and to the resolve of its residents.’
On the topic of the prisoners, the president said: ‘We are dedicating all attention to the topic of the prisoners. Even if we are left with just one penny, we will pay it to those heroes who we must protect and whose families [we must] listen to.’ He continued: ‘There is an explosion in the prisons due to the occupation authorities’ shirking of the agreements that were signed with the prisoner leaders, and they are in a state of fierce rebellion against the prison guard.’
The president emphasized that all of us on the official and popular level need to give aid to the prisoners, as they are our people’s most important cause. He noted that we will not abandon them and that we will defend them.”
[Official PA daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Feb. 8, 2022]
Official PA TV, live broadcast from the funeral of three assassinated Fatah terrorists who were planning an imminent shooting attack – see note below
Fatah Revolutionary Council member Abd Al-Ilah Atteereh:“Yesterday [Feb. 7, 2022] the [PLO] Central Council led by [PA] President [Mahmoud Abbas] determined that our last penny will be directed to the wounded and the Martyrs, despite all the pressures that are being exerted on us from the Europeans, the Americans, or the Israelis, who tell us: Turn these salaries (i.e., PA salaries to imprisoned, wounded, and dead terrorists) into welfare allowances. In other words, we would turn the Martyr’s family into people who want to shop at the market. This is unacceptable and [the PLO leadership] adheres to supporting all the Palestinian people and the Martyrs and the wounded – they are in front of our eyes, under our responsibility, and in our spirit, we will not abandon them.”
[Official PA TV, Feb. 8, 2022]
Abd Al-Ilah Atteereh also serves as PLO Central Council member.
Adham Mabrouka Al-Shishani, Muhammad Al-Dakhil, and Ashraf Mubaslat