Israel votes to withhold Palestinian tax to cover PA payments for terrorists’ families
New law passed amid defence ministry claims that the Palestinian Authority paid £150m to a fund for families of terrorists killed
Israeli politicians have voted to withhold Palestinian taxes equivalent to the amount that Palestinian officials pay the families of convicted terrorists.
The new Israeli law, which came in as Australia said it would also be cutting millions of dollars’ in aid to the Palestinians, was passed by 87 votes to 15, with only left-wing party Meretz and Arab parliamentarians voting against.
While the amount withheld is yet to be confirmed, Israel’s Defence Ministry said the Palestinian Authority paid £150m ($198 million) to a fund for families of terrorists killed in the course of their actions, and roughly $160 to the families of those jailed.
The vote follows similar legislation introduced in the United States, which ends US aid unless the Palestinian Authority ends its stipend to terrorists’ families.
The US also announced that it was halving its funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency, which support Palestinian refugees, in response to a UN vote criticising Donald Trump’s decision to relocate the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In response the UK brought forward £10 million from next year’s allocation, citing the agency’s “exceptional cash flow challenges”.
This week’s Israeli vote came as Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop cut the country’s £5.6m ($7.4 million) donated to the Palestinian Authority through the World Bank, saying that paying those convicted of politically-motivated violence “is an affront to Australian values, and undermines the prospect of meaningful peace”.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
