Sa’ar thanks Washington for sanctions on PA, says it ‘must pay a price for policies’

Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar commends the United States for its “moral clarity” in imposing sanctions on Palestinian Authority officials and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization.

“I thank [US] Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the US State Department for their moral clarity in imposing sanctions on members of the Palestinian Authority and PLO,” writes Sa’ar on X, saying the PA “must pay a price for its ongoing policy of paying terrorists and their families for carrying out attacks, and for its incitement against Israel in schools, textbooks, mosques, and the Palestinian media.”

In its statement explaining the decision, the US State Department cited moves by the PA to seek redress through international bodies such as the ICC and World Court, its stipends to terror convicts and their families, and incitement, including in schools.

In February, under US pressure, PA President Mahmoud Abbas signed a decree to end the so-called “pay-to-slay” policy, which provided stipends to convicted Palestinian terrorists and families of slain attackers. In April, he invited the Trump administration to verify that the change was being implemented. It remains unclear to what extent the move has been put into practice.

“This important action by [US] President [Donald] Trump and his administration also exposes the moral distortion of certain countries that rushed to recognize a virtual Palestinian state while turning a blind eye to the PA’s support for terror and incitement,” Sa’ar continues, referring to the growing list of Western nations announcing moves toward recognizing a Palestinian state later this year.