WarSclerotic

13 Nisan 5778 – March 28, 2018

New Palestinian Authority Budget Continues Paying Salaries to Terrorists and Their Families

Photo Credit: MEF

Taylor Force likely won’t be the last American killed as a result of Palestinian terror incitement.

It was revealed on Wednesday that the new Palestinian Authority budget continues paying salaries to terrorists and families of terrorists, and was released around the same time as the U.S. passed the Taylor Force Act, which cuts off nearly all US aid to the Palestinian Authority if it continues its ‘pay to slay’ policies encouraging bloodshed and murder. The PA even reversed a policy of hiding the payments and returned to directly and openly paying the Commission of Prisoners, which pays the salaries to terrorist prisoners.

After studying the recent PA budget, Director of Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) Itamar Marcus and Palestinian Media Watch’s Head of Legal Strategies Lt. Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch brought it to the attention of Knesset Israel Victory Caucus (KIVC) Chair MK Oded Forer to collaborate with his counterparts in the Congressional Israel Victory Caucus (CIVC), especially Rep. Doug Lamborn, who introduced the Taylor Force Act, to bring this to the attention of the American authorities that can trigger the clauses in the law.

MK Forer communicated this outrage to his counterpart Rep. Lamborn and called on the two caucuses to work together to put an end to the impunity of the PA for its rewarding terror.

“The Taylor Force Act was built precisely to put an end to this policy,” Rep. Lamborn said. “It seems like the Palestinian Authority did not receive the message we tried to send by passing this law so now we have to ensure that the U.S. will slash its funding to it. American taxpayer’s money should no longer be used to provide benefits and enticements for the murder of Israelis and others. We will continue to work with both our CIVC and KIVC allies to ensure that this terrible policy becomes a thing of the past.”

According to PMW, 7.47% of the PA’s operational budget is for salaries to terrorist prisoners, released terrorists, and payments to families of “Martyrs” and wounded. The PA’s budget categories rewarding terror equal 44% of anticipated foreign aid.

“For years the Palestinian Authority has promoted terror, glorified terror and rewarded terror,” said PMW Director Marcus, “and tragically the donor countries have indirectly funded these activities by funding the PA. PMW welcomes the new approach by the members of the Israel Victory Caucuses in the US and in Israel. The first step to defeating Palestinian terror is to stop paying for it.”

According to the Taylor Force Act, within 30 days the U.S. State Department must certify to Congress whether the PA and PLO have stopped the payments to terrorists and their families, the so-called ‘pay-for-slay program’ and repealed the pay-for-slay laws. No later than 45 days after enactment (i.e. 15 days after the above certification), State must report to Congress an explanation of why State was unable to certify PA/PLO compliance, plus the total amount of funds to be withheld.

The two caucuses will be working together to highlight Palestinian non-compliance and the continuation of the PA’s policy of providing payments to terrorists and their families.

March 22, 2018

Israeli forces are preparing for Hamas’ mass marches on Israel’s border, which could result in many civilian casualties. 

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News

Security forces prepare for Hamas mass march on Israel

Palestinians demonstrate on Israel’s border. (Abed Rahim Khatib/Flash90)

The IDF is preparing for the Hamas-led mass march on Israel’s southern border which they have called for next Friday.

Hamas has called for “all Palestinians” to take part in a mass protest, another “Friday of Rage,” to mark the 100th day since President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and pledged to relocate the US embassy to the city.

Hamas wants the protests to begin on March 30 and to last for several weeks, with thousands of Palestinians moving to tent cities to be built along Israel’s border.

Hamas stated such protests would continue until the US’ recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel “is undermined.”

Israel is preparing for a scenario in which tens of thousands of Gazans will march to Israel’s border fence with Gaza, possibly attempting to take it down and march into Israel.

“We want to frighten the Israelis with the images of massive crowds of people who peaceably gather and sit close to the border,” Hamas spokesman Ahmed Abu Retaima told Bloomberg this week. “We are working to bring out more than 100,000 people for the march.”

The Hamas march is “clearly an attempt to break through the fences, and they are ready to tolerate losses,” Ehud Yaari, an international fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, told Bloomberg.

Israel fears a situation in which dozens of Palestinians will cross the border and enter Israeli territory, a situation which could result in many civilian casualties.

Yousef Munayyer, an analyst at the Arab Center in Washington, said the border march will force Israel into an unpleasant choice.

“You’re essentially talking about the Israeli military lining up like a firing squad against a wall of Palestinians civilians walking toward the fence,” Munayyer told Bloomberg.

“I don’t think that’s the optics the Israelis want to have out there,” he remarked. However, it appears that Hamas is seeking exactly such a scenario, to exploit the death of its civilians at Israel’s expense and to generate more violence in the region.