A top Palestinian official on Tuesday strongly denounced a new Israeli law that will freeze money transfers to the Palestinian Authority to punish its payments to families of those jailed for attacks.
Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, said the move threatened the existence of the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority.
"This is a very dangerous decision that amounts to the cancellation of the Palestinian Authority and is piracy and theft," he said.
"Israel is stealing the land and money of the Palestinian people and that is a result of the decisions of President (Donald) Trump, who supports Israel," he added.
The bill, which was passed by 87 to 15 on Monday, will authorize the Tel Aviv regime to deduct those payments from the taxes Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA) under bilateral agreements.
Avi Dichter, chairman of Israel’s foreign affairs and military committee and the former head of the Shin Bet intelligence agency, said the PA spends seven percent of its budget, estimated at 1.1 billion shekels ($300 million) to aid Palestinian prisoners and pay stipends to the families of those killed or wounded by the Israeli military.
The stipends benefit roughly 35,000 families of Palestinians killed and wounded in conflict with Israel.
Israeli Minister of Military Affairs Avigdor Lieberman hailed the new law, claiming that, "Every shekel (president) Mahmud Abbas will pay for terrorists and assassins will be automatically withdrawn from the Palestinian Authority's budget."
"An effective war on terrorism also passes through the pocket -- of the terrorists, of their families and of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas," he added.
Saeb Erekat, secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, said the move threatened the existence of the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority.
