Smotrich freezes $26m transfer to PA for its ‘wild incitement’
Israel's finance minister says the fight against terrorism includes preventing funds from compensating terrorists.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on Sunday ordered the seizure of 100 million shekels ($26 million) in tax funds slated for the Palestinian Authority.
“The fight against terrorism is not only a military fight but a combined fight that includes a war against the wild incitement of the Palestinian Authority and the terrorist funds which it directs from its budget to the families of terrorists,” Smotrich tweeted.
He noted that since taking office he has moved to transfer funds destined for the P.A. to compensate families of the victims of terrorism.
Smotrich withheld 138.8 million shekels ($39.5 million) from the P.A. in January 2023 and 130 million shekels ($35 million) in June 2024. In both cases, the money was redirected to compensate victims of terrorism.
“There is no greater justice than using the funds for the victims of terror,” he said in January 2023. “The P.A. must stop its involvement in terror if it wants to survive. As long as it continues to encourage terror, it is our enemy and as such, what interest do we have to help it?”
On Sunday, Israel’s High Court of Justice heard a petition from the P.A. against legislation the Knesset approved in March, the “Benefits for Casualties of Hostile Acts Law,” which allows victims of terrorism and their families to collect benefits from those who reward acts of terrorism.
This includes the P.A., which boasts of its “Martyrs Fund,” which provides monthly stipends to terrorists and terrorists’ families.
It does not appear that the court will hold a hearing on the petition as it said there was no need to hear the position of the government or the Knesset on the matter.
At the start of the discussion on whether to hold hearings on the petition, Justice Yitzhak Amit told the attorney representing the Palestinian Authority:
“If the countries overseas impose sanctions on terrorist financiers, why can’t the State of Israel impose sanctions on those who reward terrorism? What is constitutionally wrong [in this]? I had a hard time understanding the petition. Even if the law could have been drafted better, this is not a reason to invalidate the law.”
Those at the hearing, some of whom lost family members to terrorism,
shouted at the P.A.’s representative, who was escorted from the court
under guard. They also expressed anger at the court for not rejecting
the petition as absurd on its face.
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