Several lawmakers have recently approached Defense Minister Benny Gantz demanding that he designates the Prisoners Affairs Administration at the Palestinian Authority as a terrorist organization.
The Prisoners Affairs Administration is the Palestinian entity that pays the salaries to terrorists jailed in Israel as well as stipends to the families of terrorists killed while carrying attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers.
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The Palestinian Authority's "pay-for-slay" policy amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars a year and is a substantial part of the Palestinian government's budget.
Israel has long objected to this scheme, saying it rewards terrorism, but Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has branded it a social safety net and has repeatedly stated that he will not suspend these payments, even at the cost of bankrupting the PA.
Israel already deducts terrorists' salaries from the taxes it collects on Ramallah's behalf. The growing demand to further target the funds afforded to Palestinian security prisoners comes against the backdrop of several court ruling, as well as a decree by Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit, that these payments are in violation of the law.
"The Palestinian Prisoners Affairs Administration's sole purpose it to encourage and reward terrorism and Israel must show zero tolerance for this practice," MKs Avi Dichter (Likud) and Elazar Stern (Yesh Atid) wrote in a letter to Gantz.
Yisrael Beytenu MK Oded Forer, who supports the initiative, said that "the prime minister and defense minister must act immediately to halt the payments to terrorists families, and they must join the initiative to outlaw the Palestinian Prisoner Affairs Administration."
Yamina MK Matan Kahana added, "The next logical step is to impose sanctions on Palestinian public officials who are involved in facilitating these payments.
Several members of the US-based Middle East Forum have also approached Gantz on the matter, saying that designating the Palestinian Prisoner Affairs Administration as a terrorist organization, would have a "substantial and declarative" impact on the issue.
"Palestinian officials and institutions who are party to rewarding terrorism should know that Israel will not tolerate this practice," the letter said.
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