PMW Bulletin
May 20, 2011
PA to pay salaries
to all terrorists in Israeli prisons
Financial aid from many donor countries
goes directly to PA budget from which salaries are paid
http://palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=5001
by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
A law published in the official Palestinian Authority Registry last month
grants all Palestinians and Israeli Arabs imprisoned in Israel for terror
crimes a monthly salary from the PA. The Arabic word the PA uses for this
payment is "ratib," meaning "salary." Palestinian Media Watch has reported
numerous times on Palestinian Authority glorification of terrorists serving
time in Israeli prisons. Following the signing of this new law, the PA is
now paying a salary to these prisoners.
http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=ovtqbicab&et=1105445731124&s=4998&e=001CDy7mBcwYeJ4GDB8gd8eOXqw-6K_aiQe2_y0PbJt1AhH6k90D2l6Dgs6VqIpMszQeDb-HtcGRtnVtokS9iLkw5EXWkLceGiF7WCpoZm9ZnW4sP9ib2TaDPgOlz-tQGHR4BXpGmLL5lkz8mDoT633oJ2DiTiSNaQ0
The PA has defined by law which Palestinians would be considered
"prisoners."
"Anyone imprisoned in the occupation's [Israel's] prisons as a result of his
participation in the struggle against the occupation."
[Ch. 1 of Law of Prisoners, 2004/19,
passed and published by the PA Chairman and Government, December 2004.
The Prisoners' Centre for Studies,www.alasra.ps Accessed May 9, 2011]
In other words, all Palestinians in Israeli prisons for terror crimes
officially join the PA payroll. According to the definition in the PA law,
Palestinian car thieves in Israeli prisons will not receive a salary, but
Hamas and Fatah terrorist murderers will.
The PA also gives a salary to Israeli Arabs convicted of terror crimes
against Israel - the country of which they are citizens. PA benefits to
Israeli Arab terrorists, in fact, are greater than the ones extended to
Palestinian terrorists.
Those serving more than 20-year sentences will receive a greater PA salary
than prisoners serving shorter sentences, the new PA law establishes.
Salaries are to be paid from the day of arrest until release.
More than 6,000 Palestinian prisoners are currently serving time in Israeli
prisons for terror-related offenses. Among those now eligible are Abdullah
Barghouti, serving 67 life sentences; Hassan Salameh, serving 38 life
sentences; and Jamal Abu Al-Hijja, serving nine life sentences, all of whom
are imprisoned for planning suicide bombings. These three terrorists were
recently called "heroic" by the official PA daily (see full article below.)
Funding by donor nations could enable payment of salaries to terrorists
The new PA law stipulates that payment of salaries "will be implemented...
on the basis of available sources of funding." Accordingly, when the PA is
short of cash for salaries, the salaries to the prisoners will be cut.
The PA has reported that the US, the EU, France, Britain, Ireland, Norway,
Japan, India and the World Bank have all given money to the PA for its
general budget in 2010-2011 (see donor country chart with amounts below).
Such direct funding could be part of the "available sources" for terrorist
salaries, or could free money elsewhere in the PA budget that could be used
for these salaries.
The list is not exclusive as it relies solely on reports in the official PA
daily. The PA receives financial aid from many other donors as well.
Recently, the EU announced the transfer of 45 million euros to the PA for
salaries:
"Some EUR 45 million of the funds from today's decision will go towards
salaries and pensions of vital workers, mainly doctors, nurses and
teachers."
[http://www.eu-un.europa.eu/articles/en/article_11009_en.htm
Accessed May 9, 2011]
In November 2010, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the
transfer of an additional grant to the PA's general budget:
"After the transfer of the $150 million, the sum which the American
administration will have transferred as direct budgetary aid to the PA for
2010 totals $225 million."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Nov. 11, 2010]
Although the EU, US and other donors are not intentionally funding salaries
for terrorists, their funding of other PA salaries and the budget makes
money available in the general budget to pay terrorist salaries.
This Palestinian Authority law was enacted before the recent Fatah-Hamas
reconciliation agreement. It was published in the official PA Registry on
April 13, 2011.
The purpose of the PA salary:
1- A monthly salary to the prisoners while in prison "to provide for the
needs of prisoners within Israeli prisons"
2- Additional benefits for released prisoners
3- Additional benefits for prisoners' families
4- Additional clause mandates funding "for the prisoners' legal needs"
Recipients: All prisoners involved in terror:
- All prisoners no matter what their crime or what their political/terror
group affiliation receive the same monthly base salaries from the PA.
Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners serve multiple life-sentences for murder.
They all now receive a PA salary.
- The salary goes directly to the terrorist or the terrorist's family.
- The prisoners receive their salary from the time of arrest.
Additional salary:
- Married prisoners receive additional pay, as well as those with children.
- Arabs from Jerusalem and Israeli Arabs who are imprisoned for terror
offenses, get an additional supplement of 300 Israeli Shekels (NIS) and 500
NIS respectively.
Funding:
- The PA law stipulates that the salaries are dependent on the PA having
available cash.
The following is the article in the PA daily describing the new law:
"[Ali Abu Diak,] Secretary of the Central Bureau of the Prisoners' Movement,
presented a concise review of the laws [concerning prisoners] published in
vol. 90 of the official PA [Government] Registry, published on April 13, as
follows:
1. Government resolution #19 of 2010...:
A released prisoner will be exempt from tuition fees at government schools
and universities if he served a period of five years or more in prison. A
released female prisoner who served at least three years in prison will be
exempt from tuition fees at government schools and universities. These
prisoners are entitled to transfer the exemption to one of their children,
or to their spouse...
The Palestinian Authority is committed to providing the opportunity for
academic study for prisoners in Israeli prisons, by covering all study
expenses for all stages of university study available to prisoners.
A prisoner's children will be exempt from 80% of academic tuition fees if
the prisoner was sentenced to at least 20 years and has been in prison for
at least 5 years. Children of a female prisoner will be exempt from 80% of
university tuition fees if the prisoner was sentenced to at least 10 years,
and has served as least 3 years.
Every released prisoner will be exempt from governmental health insurance if
he served at least 5 years in prison, and for female prisoners - at least 3
years. ...
2. Government resolution #21 of 2010, concerning the amendment to provide
for the needs of prisoners within Israeli prisons:
a. Every prisoner will be paid a uniform sum linked to the cost of living
index, as a monthly expenditure ...
b. Every prisoner will be paid a uniform sum of 400 [Israeli] Shekels for
clothing. The sum will be paid twice a year, and will be added to the
prisoner's salary...
3. Government resolution # 22 of 2010, concerning the amendment to provide
for the prisoners' legal needs...
4. Government resolution # 23 of 2010 concerning the amendment on payment of
a monthly salary to the prisoner:
Every prisoner will be granted a monthly salary, to be paid to him or to his
family, on condition that he does not receive a salary from a [different]
governmental or semi-governmental body or official institution... The salary
will be paid to the prisoner from the date of his arrest, and a special
supplement will be paid to prisoners from Jerusalem and from the Interior
[i.e., Israeli Arabs]; a spousal supplement will be paid, and a special
supplement for children up to the age of 18...
The minimum salary for a prisoner, to be paid to him from the beginning of
his detention and for up to 3 years, is 1400 Shekels. Prisoners who have
been imprisoned between 3 and 5 years will receive 2,000 Shekels. Those
imprisoned between 5 and 10 years will receive 4,000 Shekels. Those
imprisoned between 10 and 15 years will receive 6,000 Shekels. Those
imprisoned between 15 and 20 years will receive 7,000 Shekels. Those
imprisoned between 20 and 25 years will receive 8,000 Shekels. Those
imprisoned between 25 and 30 years will receive 10,000 Shekels. Those who
have been imprisoned 30 years or more will receive 12,000 Shekels.
A supplement of 300 Shekels will be added to the salary of every married
prisoner, as well as a supplement for children up to the age of 18 in the
amount of 50 Shekels for every boy or girl, in addition to a supplement for
prisoners from Jerusalem in the amount of 300 Shekels, and a supplement for
prisoners from the Interior [i.e., Israeli Arabs] in the amount of 500
Shekels ...
These regulations will be implemented from Jan. 1, 2011, on the basis of
available sources of funding."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 15, 2011]
List of donor countries who contribute to PA's general budget
The list includes only those contributions reported in the PA press, and
which were designated to the PA's general budget in 2010 or 2011. The list
does not include the many other contributions made to the PA by these and
other donor countries:
Donor
Amount
Source
European Union
158.5 million euros
Al-Hayat Al- Jadida, January 20, 2010
Britain
60 million British pounds
Al-Ayyam, February 11, 2010
India
10 million dollars
Al-Hayat Al- Jadida, April 26, 2010
Norway
53 million dollars
Al-Hayat Al- Jadida, June 18, 2010
France
19 million euros
Al-Hayat Al- Jadida, June 22, 2010
World Bank
40 million dollars
Al-Hayat Al- Jadida, October 1, 2010
Japan
18.5 million dollars
Al-Hayat Al- Jadida, October 25, 2010
European Union
41.4 million euros
Al-Hayat Al- Jadida, October 28, 2010
Britain
30 million British pounds
Al-Hayat Al- Jadida, October 28, 2010
United States
225 million dollars
Al-Hayat Al- Jadida, November 11, 2010
Ireland
1.5 million euros
Al-Hayat Al- Jadida, November 15, 2010
Japan
11.9 million dollars
Al-Hayat Al- Jadida, December 28, 2010
The following is the report in the official PA daily calling prisoners
"heroic":
"Family members of prisoners expressed heartfelt thanks to the directorate
and staff of Voice of the Prisoners Radio, via the program 'On Birds'
Wings', which is broadcast on Voice of the Prisoners. This [thanks] was due
to the significant positive effect [of the station] on the mental state of
the prisoners and their families, and especially the family members of
prisoners who are not allowed visits. The families of the prisoners told the
Prisoners' Centre for Studies that Voice of the Prisoners, [at] FM 107.9,
represents an extremely important struggle and breaks the will of the prison
guard in the face of the determination of the Palestinian people, which
invents all methods of resistance, first and foremost the role of the media,
considering the occupation's violations against the prisoners, and
especially the withholding of visits for more than four years. The families
of prisoners in solitary confinement, first and foremost the family of the
prisoner Commander Ahmad Sa'adat, and the heroic prisoners Abbas and
Abdallah Barghouti, Mahmoud Issa, Jamal Abu Al-Haija, Hassan Salameh and
others, said that their sons wait for the program 'On Birds' Wings'."
[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, April 13, 2011]
Abdallah Barghouti - sentenced to 67 life sentences for involvement in
terror attacks in which 66 Israelis were murdered - Sbarro restaurant (Aug.
9, 2001), Moment Café (March 9, 2002), and the triple attack at the Ben
Yehuda pedestrian mall (Dec. 1, 2001).
Jamal Abu Al-Hijja - 9 life sentences for involvement in suicide attacks in
Hadera shopping mall (Oct. 26, 2005) and at Herzl Street in Netanya (Dec. 5,
2005)
Hassan Salameh - 38 life sentences. Was head of the terror infrastructure
which carried out 2 attacks on no. 18 buses in Jerusalem (First attack on
Feb. 25, 1996. Second attack on March 3, 1996), and the attack at the
Ashkelon Junction hitchhike point (Feb. 25, 1996).
Mahmoud Issa - serving 3 life sentences. Member of the squad that kidnapped
and murdered Israeli soldiers, including Nissim Toledano (Dec. 13, 1992).
PMW has not been able to find any information concerning Abbas Barghouti.
Excerpt from EU's announcement of additional aid to the PA:
"EU Commission approves additional € 85 million in support for Palestinian
people in 2011"
"Summary: The European Commission has today decided to provide an additional
financial package worth EUR 85 million for the occupied Palestinian
territory under the 2011 budget. This comes in addition to the € 100 million
already approved from European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument.
...
Some EUR 45 million of the funds from today's decision will go towards
salaries and pensions of vital workers, mainly doctors, nurses and teachers.
A further EUR 40 million will be allocated for social allowances to
vulnerable Palestinian families. These funds come in addition to the EUR 60
million provided to the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the EUR 40 million
provided to United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) at the beginning
of the year. At the request of Prime Minister Fayyad these funds have been
advanced by an accelerated procedure in order to meet the Authority's urgent
financial needs and to respect the EU's commitment to being a regular and
reliable donor."
[http://www.eu-un.europa.eu/articles/en/article_11009_en.htm
Accessed May 9, 2011]
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