Palestinian Authority Slams ‘Israeli’ Cut of Tax Revenues As ’Piracy & Robbery’

By Staff, Agencies

The Palestinian Authority [PA] decried the Zionist occupation regime’s decision to deduct a certain amount from the tax revenues it collects on its behalf as “piracy” and “robbery” of the Palestinian people’s money.

PA President Mahmoud Abbas “categorically rejects this dangerous decision,” his spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said on Sunday.

The statement came as the Tel Aviv regime’s so-called security cabinet voted to withhold 176 million US dollars from the Palestinian Authority’s tax revenues earlier on Sunday over welfare payments given by the PA to Palestinians that allegedly conducted operations against ‘Israeli’ occupation forces in the past year and their families.

According to Abu Rudeineh, Abbas also “affirms that the rights of Palestinian prisoners will be safeguarded despite pressures.”

He stressed that the decision is contrary to international law, urging the international community to put pressure on the ‘Israeli’ occupation entity to stop such “provocative” measures.

The Zionist move comes in line with a bill passed in 2018 to withhold hundreds of millions of dollars in funds from the Palestinians over welfare payments given to Palestinian prisoners and their families as well as the families of martyrs killed by the ‘Israeli’ occupation military.