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UN and Europe Warn Israel Against Deducting "Martyr Payments" from PA Tax Revenues
(Israel Hayom) Ariel Kahana - UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov and European officials have warned Israel that the Palestinian Authority could collapse if Israel implements a law to deduct stipends paid to terrorists. The terrorist payments law enacted six months ago stipulates that Israel's defense minister must report to the cabinet the total amount paid by the PA to terrorists imprisoned in Israel and their families, after which the minister must withhold that amount from the tax revenues Israel collects for the PA. The funds are to be deposited in a trust until the Palestinians stop using them to encourage terrorism. Payments made by the Israeli government to communities near the Gaza border to cover damage caused by Palestinian arson terrorism are also to be deducted from PA tax revenues. The PA pays $270 million in terrorist stipends every year.