Palestinian finance chief fired over payments to terrorists – report

PA chief Mahmoud Abbas reportedly fired his finance chief after a probe revealed he had violated PA reforms, funneling money to jailed terrorists under the old “pay-to-slay” mechanism.

By World Israel News Staff

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas fired his finance minister on Monday — a day before Abbas met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris — amid pressure from France on the PA to halt its monetary support for terrorism.

In a statement issued via the PA’s official mouthpiece, WAFA, Abbas’ office announced Monday that finance chief Omar Akram Al Bitar had been replaced with Istifan Salameh, the PA’s minister for planning and international cooperation.

While the WAFA report gave no reason for the reshuffling, two sources, including a Palestinian official, told The Times of Israel on Tuesday that the firing stemmed from Al Bitar’s violation of PA reforms relating to payments to jailed terrorists and the families of slain terrorists.

For years, the PA has faced international pressure to halt its policy of providing stipends to jailed terrorists and relatives of terrorists killed during attacks on Israelis.

Both Israel and the US have passed legislation sanctioning Ramallah over the so-called “pay-to-slay” policy.

In February, Abbas accepted US calls for reform, including dismantling the existing mechanism for distributing payments under the “pay-to-slay” system.

Prior to the reform, the PA payments were explicitly linked to the recipients’ ties to terror, with groups such as the Martyrs’ Fund and the Prisoners’ Fund being tasked with handing out the stipends.

Furthermore, payments to jailed terrorists were indexed to the duration of the prisoner’s sentence, while stipends to the families of slain terrorists were set based on the severity of the terrorist’s crimes – in effect offering greater incentives for violent attacks on Israelis.

The February reform decoupled payments from sentences and the severity of attacks, setting stipend amounts based on financial need.

In addition, a new PA agency, the Palestinian National Economic Empowerment Institution (PNEEI), was formed to oversee the distribution of funds, replacing the Martyrs’ Fund and Prisoners’ Fund.

However, critics have accused the PA of using the new, ostensibly broad welfare system while effectively carrying out the “pay-to-slay” program. Watchdog groups, including Palestinian Media Watch, have accused the PA of continuing to funnel money to jailed terrorists and terror families.

According to Tuesday’s report, a PA internal investigation also revealed that Al Bitar quietly maintained the old payment system, paying stipends to jailed terrorists and terror families outside of the new welfare mechanism.

The decision to fire Al Bitar comes as France has been pushing the PA to move forward with internal reforms and offered to help Ramallah draft a constitution.