Red Cross helps jailed terrorists claim ‘pay-for-slay’ rewards – report

Red Cross circumvents Israeli law barring prisoners from receiving rewards for terrorism, helping them fill out forms that provide access to payments. 

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The International Red Cross is helping terrorists jailed in Israel circumvent an Israeli law barring them from receiving stipends from the Palestinian Authority, according to a new report.

The report, produced by the Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) organization, presents evidence that the Red Cross enables the transfer of “pay for slay” funds to terrorist prisoners in Israeli jails.

Despite denials from The International Red Cross Committee (ICRC), the PMW expose presents statements from Palestinian officials that prove the central role the Red Cross plays in the transfer of funds to terrorists.

Although Israeli law prohibits “providing incentives for terrorist activity,” the Red Cross gets around these regulations by helping Palestinian prisoners fill out forms that allow them access to payments.

According to Palestinian Authority regulations, terrorists are entitled to payments of 1,400 shekels ($387) per month that increase over time to 12,000 shekels ($2,990) monthly.

While the Red Cross claims it has nothing to do with facilitating these payments, PMW points out remarks by a Palestinian official that Israelis preventing the Red Cross from visiting prisoners prevented them from receiving their payments.

In addition, Qadura Fares, head of the PLO Prisoner Affairs Authority said to the press two months ago that the Red Cross is “an essential partner in the process that enables the payment of rewards to the imprisoned Palestinians.”

The Red Cross handles documentation from families of prisoners to verify every three months that they are still in custody, and also deals with Power of Attorney that allows someone else to open a bank account on behalf of the prisoner to receive funds.

Itamar Marcus, chair of PMW, said the Red Cross’s enabling payments to terrorists is particularly disturbing given the fact that “The Red Cross is dragging its feet on the issue of the Israeli hostages in Gaza.”

He added, “The Israeli government has been committing a gross oversight by enacting laws that curtail terror salaries on the one hand but permits the Red Cross to openly facilitate those illegal salaries on the other.”

“The Israeli government must notify the Red Cross that any future visits to prisoners are contingent on the Red Cross’ commitment not to supply any forms to the PA that will enable terrorists to receive the terror salaries,” added Marcus.

The Red Cross has still not visited the Israeli hostages held in Gaza, contrary to its duties stipulated by International law.

The organization’s neglect of Jews is nothing new; Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, an Israeli attorney, human rights activist, and president of Shurat HaDin points out the Red Cross’s “hands off” policy during the Holocaust.

“Throughout history, the Red Cross worked against Jews and Israelis,” she said.

“This was the case during the Holocaust when they refused to visit the Jews in extermination camps and claimed that it was an ‘internal German problem,” she explained.

“This was the case with Gilad Shalit, who for five years did not get to see a single representative of the organization; and this is the case with the hostages today.”