Rare interview with wife of Palestinian prisoner proves PMW's contention that PA pays salaries to prisoners, including terrorists, and not social welfare to their families, as reported by foreign ministries PA TV interview confirms that Norway and UK Foreign Ministries gave incorrect information to their parliaments

PA TV journalist to wife of prisoner:

"For nearly four years, the prisoner's allowance from the Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs... has not reached your hands and your children's hands... Did you try to turn to the authorities?"

Prisoner's wife: 

"A year and a half ago, I went to the Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs... Their answer was: 'Your husband transfers it to the person he wants. It's in his power not to transfer [it to you] and we can't do anything about it."

Prisoner's wife:

"[My husband] told me: 'If you do what I want, it [the monthly salary] will return to you. As long as you are like this, it won't return to you.'"

http://www.palwatch.org/main.aspx?fi=157&doc_id=8783

by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

Since 2011, Palestinian Media Watch has been supplying governments and media worldwide with documentation that the PA pays high monthly salaries to Palestinians imprisoned in Israel for security offenses, including terrorists serving multiple life-sentences for murder. 

Yet for nearly two years, the British and Norwegian Foreign Ministries have told their MPs that PMW's documentation was incorrect. They argued that the PA does not pay salaries to security prisoners, which would be a reward for terror, but gives "social aid to the families" like other PA social welfare programs. This, they have now explained, was what the PA assured them.

In spite of all PMW's documentation, Norway and the UK have justified their continued funding of the PA, saying that none of their support money was going into a funding program specifically for terrorists, but was going to the wives and children. (See quotes below.)

PMW is now releasing a recent interview with a wife of a Palestinian prisoner that verifies the accuracy of PMW's reports. In the interview, the prisoner's wife and mother of five children complains repeatedly that the prisoner, her husband, has not given her and their children control of his salary, but instead gave it to his brother. 

PA TV journalist Roba Al-Najjar to wife of prisoner: 

"For nearly four years, the prisoner's allowance from the Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs and the official institutions has not reached your hands and your children's hands... Did you try to turn to the authorities?"

Prisoner's wife: 

"A year and a half ago, I went to the Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs... Their answer was: 'Your husband transfers it to the person he wants. It's in his power not to transfer [it to you] and we can't do anything about it."

Prisoner's wife:

"[My husband] told me: 'If you do what I want, it [the monthly salary] will return to you. As long as you are like this, it won't return to you.'"

According to the prisoner's wife, many other prisoners likewise don't give control of their salary payments to their wives:

Prisoner's wife:

"It's not just me, this problem, many of the prisoners' wives and children suffer from it, from the transfer of his salary, the prisoner's salary."

Click to view

This testimony refutes the claims of UK Minister of State Alan Duncan in his letter on behalf of UK's DfID, Department for International Development:

"It is true that in some cases, payments will go to families of those who have committed the sort of crime that we utterly condemn. We believe however that it would be wrong to punish innocent children and dependent family members by denying them access to social support." 

[Duncan, in letter to UK MP Mike Freer, Nov. 16, 2012]

It also refutes the claims of Norway's Foreign Ministry that the payments are "social benefits to the families":

"Dagbladet [newspaper] has asked the [Norwegian] government a number of questions regarding PMW's information [about salaries prisoners], but the Foreign Ministry denies these problems and refers to the salary payments as social benefits. '... Such social transfers have been made for as long as the PA has existed and on social grounds, including considerations for children in the family." 

[Frode Overland Andersen of the Foreign Ministry,
Dagbladet.no (Norway), Sept. 4, 2011]

As is clear from the account of the prisoner's wife broadcast on PA TV and the response of the PA Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs, the payment is the prisoner'ssalary, is under his control, and is not a social welfare payment.

In practice, since a prisoner does not have direct access to his salary, another person must be appointed to control the money. PMW has documented that PA law gives the prisoner, and not his wife, the sole right to appoint a representative by signing a power of attorney form brought to him by a Red Cross representative or his lawyer. 

When interviewed for the program, the Minister of Prisoners' Affairs Karake said that the purpose of the payments were to help the families:

"The purpose of the assistance given to the prisoners is to stand by their families, by the mother and father, by the children and the wife as a result of the son's absence or the father's absence for many years in the occupation's prison."

However, the PA TV journalist Roba Al-Najjar challenged him because of the problems experienced by prisoners' wives who don't have control of their husbands' salaries:

"We know that legally the prisoner has the right to give the power of attorney to a family member that he considers suitable... What is Your Honor's experience in this matter?"

Minister Karake in his answer confirmed that it is the prisoner who controls the money and he is aware of the problems of the wives:

"I have clearly noticed recently, in the past few years, there have been social problems and the current procedure in the Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs is that the prisoner determines who has the power of attorney. We decided that this will be on condition that the person with the power of attorney must be a first-degree relative."

And as the interview shows - in reality that relative who receives control of the salary is not necessarily the wife. 

PMW notes that Norwegian Foreign Minister Eide recently acknowledged to the Parliamentary Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs that the PA gave Norway wrong information regarding the prisoners' salaries. PMW is not aware of any public reports that UK Minister of State Alan Duncan has likewise notified his Parliament that the UK was misled by the PA. 

Neither Norway nor Britain has indicated if the fact that the PA pays salaries to convicted terrorists in prison from its budget, will impact on their future funding of the PA budget.

Click to view 9 minutes of the interview with the prisoner's wife on PA TV.

Below is the transcript of 9 minutes of the interview, including Minister of Prisoners' Affairs Issa Karake's response to PA TV. 

To review how the story has been developing in Norway: 
Click to see how PMW's findings generated this debate in Norway, the responses of Norwegian MPs, and the Parliamentary Committee investigation questioning why the Foreign Ministry did not give the correct information to parliament earlier.

Click to see how the Parliamentary Committee expressed dissatisfaction with the Foreign Minister's first answer, and how the Foreign Minister in his second letteradmitted that the PA has special support program for prisoners, including terrorists, in Israel, and how that prompted the Committee to question what the Foreign Ministry did to verify the information it had received from the PA.

Click to see the UK Parliament debate of PMW's findings about PA hate incitement and UK's funding of the PA.

The following is the transcript of the 9 minute video:

PA TV journalist Roba Al-Najjar:

"She suffered in silence and we couldn't stand there and do nothing. [Is control over the money] her right? - Yes!  Is [this] her children's urgent need? - Absolutely! Do they have control? Unfortunately not."

Journalist Roba Al-Najjar interviewing Minister of Prisoners' Affairs Issa Karake: "We respect your request not to show your face and to alter your voice... In addition, I am telling the viewers that we did not film in your house. What is your story, dear sister?"

Prisoner's wife: "It's not just me, this problem, many of the prisoners' wives and children suffer from it, from the transfer of his salary, the prisoner's salary (Arabic: Ma'ash)... My husband is sentenced [to prison] and I have five children."

Journalist Roba Al-Najjar: "Until when is your husband sentenced? We wish him freedom, Allah willing."

Prisoner's wife: "About eight years. It's already a year I suffer greatly, because he transferred the salary (Ma'ash), that is the allowance (Mukhassas), to his family."

Journalist Roba Al-Najjar: "You have five children. How old is the oldest?"

Prisoner's wife: "17 and a half."

Journalist Roba Al-Najjar: "And the youngest?"

Prisoner's wife: "Seven years."

Journalist Roba Al-Najjar: "When did he transfer the power of attorney for the allowance (Mukhassas) [to his family]? How long after his arrest?"

Prisoner's wife: "It's been four years. At first I did not have it [power of attorney] and later on I had it. After that, it was transferred to a different person. That other person is from his family. There are conditions, that is, when they send me money... They delay [the money] and make excuses: 'Today, tomorrow...' It's hard for me and I suffer greatly. I tried to work."

Issa Karake, Minister of Prisoners' Affairs: "It makes no sense that a free and noble nation will abandon the families of the victims, the families of the fighters, without a provider and without standing beside them so that they can live with dignity and pride..."

[Journalist Roba Al-Najjar interviews the prisoner's wife]

Journalist Roba Al-Najjar: "Do you know what your husband's allowance (Arabic: mukhassas) was?"

Prisoner's wife: "Don't know."

Journalist Roba Al-Najjar: "You have no idea?"

Prisoner's wife: "I have no idea."

Journalist Roba Al-Najjar: "How much money does your husband's family send you each month?"

Prisoner's wife: "Each month they send two checks. Sometimes it's as my husband tells them: 'Transfer this' and sometimes, depending on the circumstances, that is, he decides in a phone conversation... They made me feel that 'this isn't yours'. That is, enough, I don't want it [the money], now I don't want to receive what he sent."

Journalist Roba Al-Najjar: "What do they say, what do they tell you?"

Prisoner's wife: "I feel like they're doing me a favor..."

PA Minister Issa Karake: "Some of the prisoners are not aware, some of the prisoners are influenced by the social situation and social problems in the family. We try the best we can to distance the prisoner from these problems, and we speak with all family members..."

Prisoner's wife: "I went to the Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs and told them my problem. They told me: 'We cannot do anything unless he personally transfers it to you.'"

Journalist Roba Al-Najjar: "In other words, for nearly four years, the prisoner's allowance from the Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs and the official institutions has not reached your hands and your children's hands... Did it ever happen, for example, that one of the months, they didn't send you [anything]?"

Prisoner's wife: "[For] almost a year."

Journalist Roba Al-Najjar: "A whole year?"

Prisoner's wife: "Yes, some months, if I add them up - approximately a year and a half they didn't send [it] as a means of pressure."

Journalist Roba Al-Najjar: "Do you send him a message with your children during their visits or when you are able to visit your husband: 'Our situation is such and such, and we suffer, please return the power of attorney to me?'"

Prisoner's wife: "Yes, I asked many times, and I myself told him this before. He told me: 'If you do what I want, it will return to you. As long as you are like this, it won't return to you.'' [...]

Journalist interviewing Minister of Prisoners' Affairs Issa Karake: "Can we speak candidly Mr. Issa [Minister of Prisoners' Affairs], about the issue of transferring the power of attorney? We know that legally the prisoner has the right to give the power of attorney to a family member that he considers suitable..."

PA Minister Issa Karake: "In the past few years, there have been social problems and the current procedure in the Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs is that the prisoner determines who has the power of attorney. We decided that this will be on condition that the person with the power of attorney must be a first-degree relative. Meaning that if he is married, the wife [is given the power of attorney]; and if he is unmarried, the mother or father. If the mother or father is deceased, it is transferred to the brother or sister. If the wife has passed away, [the power of attorney goes] to the son, i.e., it stays among first-degree relatives. But the criteria - it is the prisoner himself who gives the power of attorney, by means of the International Red Cross or through an attorney by means of a power of attorney [form] signed by him, in which he gives the power of attorney to whomever he wants from within this group - first-degree relatives - to receive his monetary allowances."

Journalist Roba Al-Najjar: "Did you try to turn to the authorities?" [...]

Prisoner's wife: "A year and a half ago, I went to the Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs, and to the Prisoners' Club...  Their answer was: 'Your husband transfers it to the person he wants. It's in his power not to transfer [it to you] and we can't do anything about it.""

PA Minister Issa Karake: "Problems occur, that is, this is natural. This is a large sector, a very large sector in our society. When we are presented with this kind of a problem, we first of all clarify things with the prisoner himself, try to understand the family's situation and the nature of the dispute, the nature of the problem."

Journalist Roba Al-Najjar: "Mr. Issa, can I understand from your words that transferring the power of attorney is included in the Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs' legal authority, to interfere in a decisive manner? I mean, that it is not the prisoner's absolute right."

PA Minister Issa Karake: "In principle, this is the prisoner's right, but we are looking into it. If the request to transfer the power of attorney to another person is illogical or is not objective, we don't approve it."

Journalist Roba Al-Najjar: "Can we understand from your words that if, for example, this mother will come to you -"

PA Minister Issa Karake: "I will change this. This is an injustice!"

Journalist Roba Al-Najjar: "I delivered a letter to Issa Karake, Minister of Prisoners' Affairs, and he in turn studied your problem in detail, and decided to transfer the power of attorney for the salary [ma'ash] back to you."

[PA TV (Fatah), Feb. 17, 2013]

Official PA daily: PMW "incites" against the PA Following PMW's reports that terrorist prisoners receive PA salaries, PA Min. Karake defends the prisoners as "lawful freedom fighters"

The official PA daily, Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, accused Palestinian Media Watch of "inciting" against the PA, saying that PMW is trying to cut off the PA's sources of Western funding. 

"'Palestinian Media Watch' [is] a Jewish organization that incites [against the PA] and speaks about Palestinian Authority aid to prisoners, describing it as support for terrorists, in order to stop financial support to the PA."

This was reported together with Minister of Prisoners' Affairs Issa Karake's response to PMW reports documenting that the PA pays salaries to prisonersimprisoned in Israel for terror crimes.

Responding to PMW's reports, Minister Karake has maintained that the payments to prisoners are "humanitarian welfare assistance" to the prisoners' families and children, and that this aid is "a national, humanitarian, and moral obligation being fulfilled by the PA."

On one occasion the Minister has stated that the prisoners are"lawful freedom fighters who fought for the right of their cause and for the freedom and independence of their people." On another occasion, he said that the PA "will not abandon our prisoner sons or their families, for they are fighters who resisted the occupation's oppression."

Karake made the last comment while visiting the families of the following prisoners, who are all serving life sentences in Israel for their involvement in suicide terrorists' bombings:

Ibrahim Sarahneh - an Israeli Arab resident of the Deheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem. He drove three suicide bombers to their attacks. With his wife Irena Sarahneh, he drove a suicide bomber to his attack in Rishon LeZion in 2002 that killed two and injured many. With his brother Musa Sarahneh, he drove a female suicide bomber to a supermarket in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Kiryat HaYovel, where she killed two people. With his brother Khalil Sarahneh, he drove a suicide bomber who killed a policeman in Jerusalem in 2002.

Ashraf Hajajreh drove a suicide bomber who killed 11 people to his attack in the Beit Yisrael neighborhood of Jerusalem in 2002.

Earlier this year, Karake referred to the Palestinian prisoners in Israel as "prisoners of war and as legitimate fighters," when he explained that the aim of the International Conference for Prisoners under the auspices of the Arab League in December is to secure "recognition of prisoners in the occupation's prisons as prisoners of war and as legitimate fighters."

The Israeli government and many Western governments view Palestinian suicide bombings as terror and completely reject the PA view that those responsible for suicide bombings are "freedom fighters." PMW has reported to Western governments that even terrorists like Abdullah Barghouti, who is serving 67 life sentences for planning many suicide bombings, are receiving high monthly PA salaries. This has led to discussion in various parliaments about the justification for Western funding of the PA's general budget, which pays these salaries.  

Karake is now responding to these PMW reports about the salaries to prisoners, which are causing the PA damage internationally. Karake is claiming that they are not salaries for the prisoners but social welfare for the families. 

Documenting original PA sources, PMW reports show that the PA's payments to prisoners are in fact salaries and not social welfare:

1. The Palestinian Authority is currently paying salaries totaling approximately 17,500,000 shekels each month to all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, including mass murderers.
2. The word used in the PA law is Ratib (راتب) - salary; the law never mentions "social assistance" or "welfare."
3. The amount of the salary rises based on number of years in prison, an amount related to the severity of the terror crime and not family need.
4. Unmarried terrorists receive the same basic salary as those who are married and have children.
5. A separate small stipend is given to married prisoners with children. The average prisoner salary is over 3,000 shekels a month and can reach as high as 12,000 a month for those in prison more than 30 years. The additional stipend for a married prisoner is 300 shekels and a mere 50 shekels per child.  
6. The terrorist prisoner is the only one who can appoint an "authorized agent" to handle his money when he is in prison. He is not obligated to give it to his wife, children, or parents.

PMW documents the PA's policy of glorifying terrorists.

The following are two recent articles reporting on Minister Karake's response to PMW's reports, one given while visiting the homes of terrorists who drove suicide bombers to their attacks:

"The Minister for Prisoners' Affairs, Issa Karake, said... 'Israel carries out political and media incitement internationally in order to stop the financial aid to the Palestinian Authority because it supports families and children of Palestinian prisoners incarcerated in the occupation's prisons.' Karake responded to an article in the British Daily Mail that quoted the organization 'Palestinian Media Watch', a Jewish organization that incites [against the PA] and speaks about Palestinian Authority aid to prisoners, describing it as support for terrorists, in order to stop financial support to the PA. Karake explained that Israel is trying to deny the legitimacy of the prisoners' national struggle, to punish their children and families, and to lay a financial siege on the PA, in an attempt at political blackmail... Karake explained that the biased Israeli campaign is intended to put political pressure on President Abbas and deter him from applying to the UN for recognition of Palestine as a non-member state, through financial pressure on the PA. He added: 'We will not abandon our prisoner sons or their families, for they are fighters who resisted the occupation's oppression. Instead of freeing them as a basic step in a process to achieve a just settlement and regional peace, Israel persists in its attempt to damage the image of the prisoners and the Palestinian national struggle in the eyes of the international community.' Karake and those accompanying him visited the families of Ramzi Abu-Zirr who was sentenced to 18 years; brothers Ibrahim, Musa, and Khalil Sarahneh who were sentenced to life imprisonment, Ashraf Hajajreh who was sentenced to life in prison, Adnan Al-Afandi who was sentenced to 30 years, Rizq Salah who was sentenced to life in prison, and Issa Abd Rabbo who was sentenced to life in prison."

[Al-Ayyam, Oct. 30, 2012]

Information about some of the terrorists whose families PA Minister Karake visited:

Ibrahim Sarahneh - an Israeli Arab resident of the Deheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem. He drove three suicide bombers to their attacks.

With his wife Irena Sarahneh, he drove a suicide bomber to his attack in Rishon LeZion in 2002 that killed two and injured many.

With his brother Musa Sarahneh, he drove a female suicide bomber to a supermarket in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Kiryat HaYovel where she killed two people.

With his brother Khalil Sarahneh, he drove a suicide bomber who killed a policeman in Jerusalem in 2002.

Ashraf Hajajreh drove the suicide bomber who killed 11 people in the Beit Yisrael neighborhood of Jerusalem in 2002.  

"The Minister of Prisoners' Affairs, Issa Karake... said that recent Israeli incitement in the media against aid to families of prisoners held in the occupation's prisons is part of a policy of Israeli incitement against the National [Palestinian] Authority, President Mahmoud Abbas, and the prisoners in the occupation's prisons.  It is intended to tighten the siege on the Palestinian Authority and discontinue foreign aid to it. Karake spoke in response to a recent Israeli TV Channel 2 report on aid to prisoners, (Israeli TV Channel 2 reported on PMW's first report on PA salaries to terrorist prisoners. - Ed.) and the accusation of the Palestinian government of 'supporting terrorists'... In addition, Karake explained that aid to prisoners is humanitarian welfare assistance, just like social insurance in all countries, including Israel, to help those in any society who have been hurt and experienced tragedy... Karake said: 'The prisoners and their families are victims of the occupation, and from the Palestinian Authority's inception, its laws have mandated aid to their children. And Israel knows about these laws that were passed by the Palestinian Parliament years ago.' Karake said that aid to prisoners' and Martyrs' (Shahids) families is a national, humanitarian, and moral obligation being fulfilled by the PA, and he said that the prisoners are lawful freedom fighters (i.e., "lawful combatants") who fought for the right of their cause and for the freedom and independence of their people. In addition Karake said: 'The Israeli executioner has no right to kill his victim twice, and we will not allow him to do so. All prisoners must be released, since they are victims of the most prolonged occupation in modern history. This occupation still commits the most heinous violations [of the rights] of our prisoners, violations that defy international law and the principles of human rights. And Israel is behaving like a country above the law."

[Al-Hayat Al-Jadida, Sept. 6, 2012]

Minister Karake on prisoners "as prisoners of war":

Headline: "To be held in Iraq under auspices of the Arab League, Karake: The International Conference for Prisoners will focus on recognition of Palestinian detainees as prisoners of war"

"Karake said that the conference to be held under the auspices of the Arab League on Dec. 10-11, 2012, will focus on the request for support and pressure towards securing recognition of prisoners in the occupation's prisons as prisoners of war and as legitimate fighters."

[Al-Ayyam, Aug. 12, 2012

6% of PA budget pays terrorists and their families

I've been reporting this for years, but finally Israeli journalists have added up the numbers.

Despite the Palestinian Authority’s financial hardships, it spends tens of millions of shekels each month paying salaries to prisoners held in Israeli jails for security offenses and acts of terrorism against Israel — including mass murderers — and last year Prime Minister Salam Fayyad tripled their monthly pay. The PA also pays monthly stipends to the families of suicide bombers.

Payments are made not only to members of Fatah, the political faction of PA President Mahmoud Abbas, but also to those of his bitter Islamist rivals from Hamas, and other factions.

As of May 2011, the PA spent NIS 18 million ($4.5 million) per month on compensating Palestinian inmates in Israeli prisons and a further NIS 26 million ($6.5 million) on payments to families of suicide bombers. In all, such payments cost the PA some 6 percent of its overall budget, Israel’s Channel 2 news reported on Monday night, citing documentation signed by Fayyad.

The PA also makes payments to Israeli Arabs jailed for security offenses against Israel, the report said.

Starting in 2003, Palestinian law mandated the dispensation of a monthly salary of NIS 1,000 ($250) to security detainees sentenced to up to five years in prison. The longer the sentence, the higher the pay. An inmate serving a life sentence was paid NIS 4,000 ($1,000) per month.

An amendment of the law in January 2011 enacted by Fayyad increased the salaries by up to 300%, Channel 2 reported.

A prisoner sentenced up to three years in prison now receives a base salary of NIS 1,400 per month, and for 3-5 years that rate increases to NIS 2,000, the report said. A NIS 300 bonus is added for a wife, and NIS 50 per child.

According to the Channel 2 report, the PA-funded salaries are an equal opportunity benefit; members of Fatah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad all receive them.

Prisoners’ salaries also increase based on how many years they have served. Abdullah Barghouti, a Hamas bomb-maker who was sentenced in 2004 to 67 life terms for orchestrating the killings of 67 Israelis, receives a monthly stipend of NIS 4,000. In less than a year that figure will rise to NIS 6,000 ($1,500).

Another major Hamas terrorist figure, Abbas al-Sayyeed, convicted of planning the 2002 Park Hotel massacre, in which 30 Israeli civilians were killed as they sat down for a Passover meal, is paid NIS 12,000 ($3,000) per month.

Prisoners who have sat more than 30 years in Israeli prison receive NIS 12,000 per month.

The original Channel 2 report adds that prisoners who are married get an extra 300 shekels every month, plus 50 shekels per month per child.

Again, this has been known for years, but I have never seen the Western donors to the PA - who claim that their funds are being spent transparently - ever ask a single question about this. Even when the PA is sliding deeper and deeper into debt and asking for more and more money.

Perhaps it is time to send this article to members of the EU parliament and US members of Congress.

And while people are looking, I once found evidence that as much as $600 million of the PA budget actually goes to pay for security in Gaza - meaning Hamas terrorist salaries. This dwarfs the amount paid to prisoners and terrorist families. Where's the transparency there?

PMW: PA Ministry of Prisoners confirms; PMW report on salaries to terrorists PA to Jerusalem Post: PA "policy had always been to pay salaries to prisoners and their families 'regardless of their political affiliations.'"

The following is the Jerusalem Post front page story on PMW's report about the new Palestinian Authority law that all terrorists in Israeli jails are to be paid salaries by the PA. The PA Ministry of Prisoners confirmed to the Jerusalem Post the PMW report that they indeed pay these salaries, and added that they recently raised the salaries. They stated however that they have always paid salaries to prisoners. PMW notes that since it was their own official daily that reported on the new legislation, it seems that the PA practice of paying salaries to terrorists in Israeli prisons has now been formalized through new the PA law. 

 

'New PA law to grant  

all convicted terrorists monthly pay'

By Jerusalem Post Staff (Page 1 story)

 
A new Palestinian Authority law grants a monthly salary to all Palestinians and Israeli-Arabs imprisoned in Israel for terrorism, Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) says in a report being released on Friday.

While Palestinian car thieves in Israeli prisons will not receive a salary, Hamas and Fatah terrorist killers will, the report says. Those serving sentences of more than 20 years will receive higher salaries, according to the new PA law. Salaries are to be paid from the day of arrest until release.

The PMW report points out that more than 6,000 Palestinians are currently serving time in Israeli prisons for terror- related offenses. Among those now eligible for salaries are Abdullah Barghouti, serving 67 life sentences for acts that include planning the Sbarro restaurant (2001) and Moment cafe (2002) suicide bombings in Jerusalem; Hassan Salameh, serving 38 life sentences for offenses that include planning a series of 1996 bus bombings; and Jamal Abu al-Hijja, serving nine life sentences for planning 2005 bombings in Hadera and Netanya.

The new PA law stipulates that payment "will be implemented...on the basis of available sources of funding." Accordingly, when the PA is short of cash, salaries to the prisoners will be cut, said PMW. Direct foreign aid to the PA could be part of the "available sources" for terrorist salaries or could free money elsewhere in the PA budget that could be used for these salaries, the report says.

The new law was enacted before the recent Fatah-Hamas reconciliation agreement and was published in the official PA Registry on April 13, 2011.

The law includes:
· A monthly salary "to provide for the needs of prisoners within Israeli prisons"
· Additional benefits for released prisoners
· Additional benefits for prisoners' families
· Funding "for the prisoners' legal needs."

Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners are serving multiple lifesentences for murder and will receive a PA salary, which goes directly to the terrorist or the terrorist's family. All of these prisoners, no matter what their crime or affiliation, will receive the same base salary. Married prisoners will also receive additional pay, as well as those with children. Arabs from Jerusalem and Israeli-Arabs imprisoned for terror offenses will get an additional supplement of NIS 300 and NIS 500, respectively.

The PMW report quotes an article in a PA newspaper that explained that the new law offered prisoners a series of privileges, including exemption from tuition fees at government schools and universities, if the inmate serves five years or more in prison. In addition, the law states that a prisoner's children will be exempt from 80 percent of their academic tuition fees if the prisoner was sentenced to at least 20 years and has been in prison for at least five. Every released prisoner will be exempt from government health insurance if he served at least five years in prison, while female prisoners will be exempt for serving at least three, according to the law.

PMW warned that funding to the PA by donor nations could enable the payment of the salaries.

"This is not just about funding," Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik of PMW said in a statement. "This is about what the PA is, and what they stand for. We feel the US and EU should be reevaluating not just their funding, but their entire relationship with the PA."

Marcus and Zilberdik said that while donor countries have "carefully created laws to prevent their money from supporting PA incitement and terror," they have been lax in adhering to these laws. "Paying salaries to imprisoned terrorists is just one example of how the PA uses its budget to support and glorify violence, thereby violating the intentions of its donors," they charged. "As long as the donor countries continue to support the PA budget - ignoring what the budget as a whole is funding - they are directly responsible for the continuation of PA hate incitement and terror glorification."

In 2004, the PA defined by law exactly who would be considered a prisoner as "anyone imprisoned in the occupation's [Israel's] prisons as a result of his participation in the struggle against the occupation."

The PA's Ministry for Prisoner Affairs said Thursday that its policy had always been to pay salaries to prisoners and their families "regardless of their political affiliations."

The ministry said it was unaware of any new law concerning salaries of prisoners and their families. It said, however, that the PA government had in recent years taken a number of decisions to raise the salaries of the prisoners and their family members.

The ministry pointed out that the PA had been paying salaries to prisoners since its establishment in 1994.