by Erez Linn, News Agencies and Israel Hayom Staff
It is time for everyone to stop looking the other way when it comes to the Palestinians Authority's institutionalized support for terrorism, Jason Greenblatt says on Twitter, pointing out that the PA is spurning $150 million to "make a political point."
U.S. envoy Jason Greenblatt: We seek to ensure the Palestinian Authority puts the interests of ordinary Palestinians first
U.S.
Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt
lambasted the Palestinian Authority over the weekend for its refusal to
change its policy on paying terrorists and their families, accusing the
PA of faking a crisis over Israel's recent decision to deduct the amount
the PA pays to terrorists from the tax funds it collects on its behalf.
Under the Paris Agreement of 1994, Israel
collects taxes for the Palestinian Authority and transfers the funds to
the PA government.
Israel's recent deduction of an amount equivalent to the "terrorist salaries" amounts to some 5% of the PA's total tax revenue.
"If your citizens were being routinely
attacked by terrorists, which of you would tolerate a reward for a
system that compensated the attackers for their crimes?" Greenblatt
tweeted on Friday.
"The Palestinian Authority is refusing to
accept over $150 million in revenue to protest the fact that $11 million
is being withheld, only to make a political point. Does that sound like
a governing authority that is concerned with the welfare of its
people?" Greenblatt asked in another tweet.
Greenblatt explained that Israel's
deduction of the terrorist salaries from the Palestinian tax funds was a
move intended to help the Palestinians.
"Because we care about the Palestinian
people, and because we want a better, brighter future for their
children, we seek to ensure the Palestinian Authority puts the interests
of ordinary Palestinians first," Greenblatt said.
Greenblatt added that the steps Israel has
taken were intended to underscore the "fundamental moral and ethical
point that terrorist violence should not be rewarded with compensation –
plain and simple."
"The Palestinian Authority's
institutionalization of support for terrorism is unacceptable and must
be called out, unequivocally, by all of us. The time has come for
everyone to stop looking the other way," Greenblatt said.
Erez Linn, News Agencies and Israel Hayom Staff
Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/2019/03/10/us-envoy-palestinians-manufacturing-the-crisis-over-tax-cuts/
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