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Israel trims funds to Palestinians over militant stipends
Source: Reuters
WORLD NEWS FEBRUARY 17, 2019 / 11:44 AM / UPDATED 3 HOURS AGO
Israel trims funds to Palestinians over militant stipends
Dan Williams
3 MIN READ
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel will cut around 5 percent of the tax handovers to the Palestinian Authority over its financial support for jailed Palestinian militants, the Israeli security cabinet said on Sunday, following similar U.S. legislation last year.
Under interim peace deals, Israel collects taxes on behalf the Palestinians, who put the current sums at $222 million a month. With negotiations stalled since 2014, Israel has at times withheld money as a measure of protest or pressure.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, though facing steep aid cuts by Donald Trump’s administration that he has boycotted over perceived bias, has held to paying stipends to the families of Palestinians jailed as security offenders or killed by Israel.
Israel and the United States say the policy, which is scaled to give greater monthly payouts for prisoners serving longer sentences, fans Palestinian violence. Abbas describes the slain and jailed Palestinians as “heroes” of a national struggle.
-snip-
Israel trims funds to Palestinians over militant stipends
Dan Williams
3 MIN READ
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel will cut around 5 percent of the tax handovers to the Palestinian Authority over its financial support for jailed Palestinian militants, the Israeli security cabinet said on Sunday, following similar U.S. legislation last year.
Under interim peace deals, Israel collects taxes on behalf the Palestinians, who put the current sums at $222 million a month. With negotiations stalled since 2014, Israel has at times withheld money as a measure of protest or pressure.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, though facing steep aid cuts by Donald Trump’s administration that he has boycotted over perceived bias, has held to paying stipends to the families of Palestinians jailed as security offenders or killed by Israel.
Israel and the United States say the policy, which is scaled to give greater monthly payouts for prisoners serving longer sentences, fans Palestinian violence. Abbas describes the slain and jailed Palestinians as “heroes” of a national struggle.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians/israel-trims-funds-to-palestinians-over-militant-stipends-idUSKCN1Q60LD