Bennett
BennettGershon Alinson

Economics Minister and Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett announced Wednesday that he intends to lead an effort to stop Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) from continuing the policy of payment of generous monthly salaries to convicted terrorists jailed in Israeli prisons.

"Did you murder Jews? Have you abducted children? Get up to 12,000 shekels a month from Abu Mazen!,” wrote Bennett sarcastically on his Facebook page. “Meet Abu Mazen's 'preferred employment' track: murderers, terrorists and child abductors. We have preferred status for gas station attendants, Abu Mazen gives it to those who pour fuel on the fires of death and destruction.”

According to a report presented by Bennett, a terrorist serving 5-10 years makes 4,000 shekels a month; a terrorist serving 10-15 years makes 6,000 shekels, a terrorist serving 25-30 years makes 10,000 shekels, and terrorists who are serving over 30 years make 12,000 shekels a month.

"In addition, every Palestinian prisoner in Israel receives 400 shekels for private expenses, twice a year,” wrote Bennett. “There is also a bonus for married terrorists and a special addition for children. In Palestinian terms, these are huge salaries.”

"About 4,000 freed prisoners continued to receive salaries after their release,” he added. “The 'preferred employment' also has a pension. And so, Ziyad Awad, the murderer of Baruch Mizrahi z”l who was released in the Shalit deal, received a salary from the Palestinian Authority during his first imprisonment, was released and received a freed terrorist's salary, and now his conditions will again be improved in Abu Mazen's 'preferred employment' scheme – after all, he murdered a Jew and has returned to prison. Amazing.”

Bennett claimed that the funding for the salaries comes from European states and other countries, “which turn a blind eye and allow their money to reach terrorists in a roundabout path, whether through the Authority or through the PLO. Whoever abducts children on their way home from school knows he has nothing to lose: at the end of the road, there awaits a warm embrace from the Palestinian Authority and a good salary.”

"The system is simple,” Bennett explained. “With one hand, Abu Mazen 'condemns' the abduction, of course, and with the other, which hands out cash for terrorism, he encourages it.”

Bennett did not say how he intends to stop the payment of terror salaries and predicted that the legal establishment will say that the matter is “problematic” and that there are “legal obstacles” to blocking the payments. “But I do not know a less legal matter than the encouragement of terror,” he added.