Yossi Kuperwasser
Yossi KuperwasserFlash 90

Brigadier-General (Res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, a senior project manager at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, revealed recently that since the beginning of the year, terrorists' salaries have not been deducted from the funds Israel transfers to the Palestinian Authority (PA).

According to him, the Defense Ministry is in possession of a detailed report regarding the monies which must be deducted from the Palestinian Authority's funds under the law, and since the start of this year, the Security Cabinet has not gathered to approve the deduction.

"These monies, at the end of the day, are one of the wheels of incitement against Israel which is motivating the current terror wave," Kuperwasser said.

On Wednesday morning, the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee will hold a discussion initiated by MKs Orit Strock (Religious Zionism), Moshe Arbel (Shas), Avi Dichter (Likud), Meir Porush (United Torah Judaism), and Amichai Chikli (Yamina) regarding the violation of the law that the government must deduct terrorists' salaries from monies transferred to the Palestinian Authority.

Data received by the MKs initiating the discussion shows that the monies which the Cabinet decided to freeze as terror funds were transferred regardless to the Palestinian Authority in various ways.

In 2018, the Knesset passed the "Pay to Slay" law, under which the Israeli government is required to withhold tax funds to the Palestinian Authority as long as the PA continues to pay salaries to terrorists who attack Israeli citizens.

Under the law, at the end of each year the Defense Minister must bring for the Cabinet's approval the sum of money paid to terrorists and their families, and the following year, that sum will be deducted from the money transferred to the PA, in twelve equal installments.

Earlier this year, Defense Minister Benny Gantz (Blue and White) came under fire for loaning money to the Palestinian Authority, seemingly in defiance of the law.