Smotrich says he transferred $35 million in PA funds to terror victims

By Sam Sokol

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13 June 2024, 1:08 pm 16 Edit

Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"

Religious Zionism party leader Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich leads a faction meeting in northern Israel, May 19, 2024. (Ayal Margolin/Flash90)

Declaring that the move constitutes “historic justice,” Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich tweets that he has signed an order to transfer some NIS 130 million ($35 million) of tax funds Israel collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority to victims of terror.

“The Palestinian Authority encourages and favors terrorism by paying the families of terrorists, prisoners and released prisoners. In accordance with the judgments that awarded compensation to the victims of terrorism, we offset the same amounts from the PA’s funds and are transfering the awarded money to the families of the victims of terrorism,” he says.

“At this time, I signed an order that transfers about NIS 130 million from the PA’s frozen funds to victims of terrorism.”