PA Continues Million-Shekel Payments to Prisoners Despite Israeli Laws, Study Shows
A new JCFA study reveals that the Palestinian Authority continues paying over 20 million shekels monthly to prisoners, despite Israeli laws and US commitments. Researchers urge expanded enforcement and targeted asset seizures.
The Palestinian Authority continues to disburse over 20 million shekels monthly to security prisoners incarcerated in Israel, bypassing legislative restrictions and violating commitments made by Mahmoud Abbas to the United States. This finding emerges from a recent study published by the Jerusalem Center for Foreign and Affairs (JCFA) and authored by former Judea and Samaria military prosecutor Lt. Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch.
According to the research, Israeli authorities have issued asset seizure orders totaling 50 million shekels since 2019 against funds transferred by the PA and the PLO. However, enforcement remains severely limited, with only about 15 percent of the targeted funds actually recovered. The payments, widely criticized under the 'Pay for Slay' policy, scale upward based on the length of imprisonment, ranging from 1,400 shekels monthly for the first three years to 12,000 shekels for sentences exceeding 30 years.
Following the 2020 application of Israeli counter-terrorism legislation to Judea and Samaria, Palestinian banks closed approximately 35,000 accounts linked to prisoners and their families to avoid legal liability. In response, the Palestinian Authority established alternative distribution channels, initially utilizing postal service cash disbursements and subsequently deploying dedicated ATMs outside the conventional banking network.
Hirsch argues that these specialized ATMs provide Israeli security forces with a direct opportunity to map locations and confiscate funds after deposit. The study recommends expanding asset seizures to include vehicles, real estate, and personal bank accounts belonging to stipend recipients, alongside initiating criminal proceedings against senior PA and PLO officials responsible for managing and approving the budget.
Furthermore, the report calls for implementing the 2023 Knesset legislation authorizing the revocation of citizenship or residency for terrorists receiving PA stipends, noting that only two such procedures have been initiated to date. International measures, including American counter-terrorism sanctions against involved entities and officials, are also proposed to bridge the gap between existing legal frameworks and actual enforcement.
