The Diplomatic-Security Cabinet approved Friday a series of sanctions against the Palestinian Authority in response to Ramallah's pushing the International Court of Justice to give its opinion on what it calls "occupation" by Israel.
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The request is "a decision to wage political and legal war against the State of Israel," the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet said in a statement, stressing that "the current government will not sit idly by in the face of this war and will respond as necessary."
Measures include withholding $39 million from the Palestinian Authority and transferring the funds instead to a compensation program for the families of Israeli victims of Palestinian terror attacks.
In addition, Israel would further deduct revenue it typically transfers to the PA – a sum equal to the amount the authority paid last year to families of imprisoned Palestinian terrorists or those killed in the conflict. The government has repeatedly stressed that the policy – infamously known as "pay-for-slay" – only incentivizes violence.
Palestinian officials will also be sanctioned, with the Diplomatic-Security Cabinet saying it will deny benefits to "VIPs who are leading the political and legal war against Israel." The Defense Ministry later said these include Palestinian officials Mahmoud Aloul, Azzam Ahmad and Rawhi Fattouh, who last week met with Karim Younis, who was released last week after 40 years in prison for the murder of IDF Cpl. Avraham Bromberg.
The Diplomatic-Security Cabinet – a small group of high-level ministers who answer directly to the prime minister – also said it would freeze Palestinian construction in Area C, which, according to the Oslo Accords, is under full Israeli civil and security control.
The final step detailed by the government involves taking unspecified "action" against organizations in the West Bank that "promote terrorist activity or any hostile activity." That includes groups carrying out "political and legal action against Israel under the guise of humanitarian work," it said.
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