Prime Minister Dr. Mohammad Shtayyeh stated that Israel’s financial deductions from the Palestinian Authority fund aims to undermine its role financially and institutionally, cause its collapse, and impede its performance.

Speaking at the outset of the cabinet meeting held in Ramallah, Dr. Shtayyeh explained that since the beginning of 2019 and until the end of 2022, Israel deducted about $570 million from the Palestinian tax funds, deductions related to health, electricity, water and others amounted to approximately $460 million for the year 2022 alone, while Israel claimed that part of the deductions that were initially appointed for freedom fighters and the families of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces. Dr. Shtayyeh pointed out that Israel also deducts around $100 million annually as a commission for the collection of taxes on goods and services for the Palestinian Authority before transferring the funds to the PA treasury, in addition to withholding taxes collected from Palestinian travelers to Jordan across the River Jordan bridge crossing, which amounted to more than $280 million. Prime Minister further stressed that these acts of piracy and vengeance practiced over PA finances by the occupying Power will not discourage Palestinians leadership from continuing their political, diplomatic, and legal struggle.

The Prime Minister considered these measures as a new war against the Palestinian people, their resources and funds, and a war against the Palestinian National Authority, its survival and its achievement. Dr. Shtayyeh regarded these cuts as illegitimate and illegal, and as a unilateral measure that is not subject to scrutiny by any Palestinian or international bodies, and in violation of signed agreements.

He stressed that the deductions decided by the Israeli occupation courts, the most recent of which was the deduction of $40 million in compensation for Israelis killed by Palestinians, “are illegal and illegitimate and we do not recognize them,” adding, “It is important to mention that there are several cases in Israeli courts against the Palestinian Authority holding it responsible for any military action by any Palestinian against Israel, and we know that Israeli courts are politicized, and therefore, their decisions are known in advance and are always biased.”

The Prime Minister called on the Arab countries to implement the decisions of the Arab summits related to activating the financial safety net and to resume aid to the State of Palestine to enable it to face these brutal measures.

Dr. Shtayyeh thanked the European Union, Algeria, Japan and many other countries that continue to support the Palestinians financially, expressing hope they will raise their aid, while calling on the international community to put pressure on the occupation government to stop piracy of Palestinian money and to return the accumulated Palestinian funds and dues that were unjustly withheld.