The Palestinian Authority (PA) is reportedly changing its system of welfare payments to terrorist prisoners and their families. For years, the PA’s welfare system has been used to financially reward terrorism, with over $1 billion reportedly spent on this “Pay for Slay” program from 2018-2023. The PA has stated going forward, payments will depend only on poverty level.
If this is true, imprisoned terrorists and their families will no longer receive money based on the severity of their crimes. Fully implementing the new policy could be a move away from the PA’s outrageous “Pay for Slay” program. However, it appears that convicted terrorists and their families can still get checks for welfare based on economic needs that are caused by lengthy prison sentences for participation in terrorist attacks.
While any progress towards ending “Pay for Slay” would help, the world should not celebrate half measures that may or may not make a real difference. We urge the international community to act now to ensure transparency, stop payments of any kind from the PA to convicted terrorists, and prevent families from receiving more money because they are related to the worst perpetrators.
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