Israel penalizes Palestinians for payments to prisoners and "martyrs"



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Issa Qaraqe, the Commissioner for Prisoners Affairs of the Palestinian Authority, said Tuesday on Palestine's official radio: "The purpose of this law is not just theft, but to delegitimize the Palestinian struggle represented by our martyrs and prisoners. "

" What they do not know, is that no Palestinian is ready to abandon our martyrs and prisoners – people who sacrificed themselves for our national struggle, "he said." This is our national duty and we will not abandon it. So the government will continue to pay these benefits to families, even if we are in financial crisis.

In March, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated the United States government for passing a law suspending Palestinian financial assistance for family allowances for Palestinians killed or imprisoned in fighting with Israel . This law was christened the Taylor Force Act, after an American was killed in Israel by a Palestinian in 2016. Mr. Force's father, Stuart Force, attended the debate and vote in the Knesset.

Israel collects more than $ 100 million a month in customs and other taxes on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, which is an important part of the Palestinian budget. Israel has seized money for periods in the past, as a punitive measure or to put pressure on Palestinian leaders.

In 2015, Israel suspended tax transfers for several months in response to a Palestinian demand to join the International Criminal Court. The accumulated funds were eventually released, in part in response to a recommendation from the Israeli security establishment, which feared that the Palestinian Authority's deprivation of resources undermined stability in its territory, acting against the interests of the country. # 39; Israel.

] ending direct aid to the Palestinian Authority for fear that a party would end up funding "activities that Australia would never support" and its $ 10 million annual direct funding is redirected to meet Palestinian needs Julie Bishop, Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, said in a statement: "All assistance provided by the Palestine Liberation Organization to people found guilty of political violence is an affront to Australian values ​​and undermines the prospect of genuine peace between Israel and the Palestinians. "

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