The Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee is to discuss a bill to deduct the allowances for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli Prisons and for the families of martyrs and wounded Palestinians from the tax revenues transferred by the Israeli authorities to the Palestinian Authority.

The Knesset’s Ministerial Committee for Legislation has already passed a bill submitted by MK Ezer Stern of the Yesh Atid party, Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Avi Dichter and ten other MKs, who threatened to present the law to the Knesset’s General Assembly if the government postponed it.

The law, which has the support of various parties, especially the government coalition, provides authorization to the Israeli authorities to reduce funds from the tax revenues that are transferred to the Palestinian Authority for salaries paid to families of prisoners and martyrs.

The deduction will pay the salaries and privileges of prisoners and families of martyrs and wounded estimated at 300 million dollars a year, according to Israeli media.

The bill alleges that the PA violates the Oslo agreement by transferring money to these families.

It is noteworthy that the Israeli security circles vote not to deduce the tax revenues by the Israeli authorities which are handed over to the Palestinian side, for fear of weakening the position of  President Mahmoud Abbas  at the same time fears that this would cause deterioration of the situation in the West Bank and the collapse of power.

Source: PNN