Jerusalem courthouse
Jerusalem courthouseFlash 90

Israel's Law Enforcement and Collection System Authority recently issued a lien for 513,000 shekels ($146,900) belonging to the Palestinian Authority (PA).

The lien is in response to the PA's refusal to work together with Israel to pay the legal fees after the Jerusalem District Court ruled that the PA tortured, jailed, and murdered PA residents accused of colluding with Israel.

The unprecedented ruling was handed down by Jerusalem District Court Judge Moshe Drori. The document contained over two thousand pages detailing the torture which Arabs underwent at the hands of the PA, as well as the legal grounds upon which the ruling is based.

"Most of the prosecutors described similar types of torture. It's hard to believe that such similar methods were not part of a single system, one which was accepted in the PA jails at the time," the ruling stated. "Continuously hearing the stories, seeing the damaged limbs, and going over the written testimony was not easy....the larger picture was made up of smaller chapters, and after writing all of these details down, we have no choice but to say that such a large amount of proof shows that the PA, its extensions, and its mechanisms acted with great violence and severely tortured the prosecutors."

"We are pleased with the results of the case, which garnish half a million shekels from the PA's money," the prosecutors' lawyer said. "We believe that the State of Israel will quickly implement the lien...expressing the Israeli government's commitment to help those who helped protect its sons from terror, death, and mourning - and paid not only with their health, but sometimes with their lives as well."

"There are others who are working at this very moment to prevent terror attacks, and they are looking to see whether the Israeli government is willing to stand by them if necessary. Turning our backs on our partners may well endanger Israel's security."