PA: Israeli Law Freezing Prisoner Family Money ‘Declaration of War’

July 4, 2018 Blog, News
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for PA President Mahmoud Abbas. (Photo: via Twitter)

Palestinian leaders have condemned a “dangerous” new Israeli law that will withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in funds from the Palestinian Authority (PA) over welfare payments given to prisoners and their families.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesperson for PA President Mahmoud Abbas, said in a statement on Tuesday that the move constituted a “declaration of war” against the Palestinian people who have fought for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

He also said the move, which surpasses a “red line”, was going to be confronted with a series of Palestinian decisions.

He warned:

“All options are open … from the International Criminal Court to the United Nations Security Council.”

Similarly, Saeb Erekat, secretary-general of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation committee, said the move amounted to “theft”.

The stipends total approximately $330m, roughly seven percent of the Palestinian Authority’s $5bn budget in 2018.

Palestinians say the tax revenues, collected by Israel for them under past peace agreements, is their money, and that the PA has a responsibility to all of its citizens like any other government.

For Palestinians, the families are widely seen as victims of decades of Israeli occupation.

(AJE, PC, Social Media)

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