Attorney General / Shlomi Amsalem
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich instructed the Director of the Tax Authority, Eran Ya’akov, to transfer an amount of 138.8 million NIS from the funds frozen by law for the freezing of funds paid by the Palestinian Authority in connection with terrorism, for the purpose of implementing the judgment regarding Litbek.
The ruling states that the Palestinian Authority must pay the families of terror victims 130 million NIS, and the Minister of Finance has now decided that the funds will be transferred to the families, out of the frozen funds.
Minister of Finance, Bezalel Smotrich: “We promised to correct, and today we are correcting an injustice.” This is an important day for morality, the war on terror and justice. There is no greater justice than offsetting the authority’s funds that worked to support terrorism and transferring them to the families of the victims of terrorism.”
“The government of Israel is changing its policy and today we are starting to make amends. There is no comfort here for the families of the murdered, but there is justice here. I am happy that I had the privilege of leading this amendment process as one of my first actions as finance minister.”
Ron Alon, the son of the late Noa Alon, said: “This day is a historic day. If there is one thing I disagree with the minister, it is that there is comfort here. It is once when the families of the victims of terrorism receive the compensation, it will not bring back our loved ones, but It will give us the feeling that justice is being done to us. And the other side is the same deterrence that exists right now, when the PA is hit in the pocket, it has immediate meaning. I am happy today and the day I carry the flag for my family and for the families of the victims of terrorism.”
Herzl Hajaj, the father of the late Lieutenant Shir Hajaj said: “We made it our goal to prevent the next attack and the taking of these funds – this is how we create deterrence, this is how we prevent the next family from bereavement. We ask all the ministers to act to warn the next terrorist.’
Merav Hajaj, the mother of the late Lieutenant Shir Hajaj said: “I am here today on behalf of my daughter, on behalf of thousands of mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters who were murdered under the auspices of terrorism from the PA. No amount in the world will repay Our children, but today there is a feeling here that justice will be done. I pray that in the next attack they will think twice before the authority sends the people and I believe that this is the beginning of a new way.”
Attorney Avi Segal, from the Shurat al-Hadin organization, said: “Many thanks to Minister Smutritz and the government of Israel for deciding at once to transfer the funds to the families of victims of terrorism in cases where it is determined that the authority has direct responsibility for terrorism. There are empirical studies that prove that what prevents terrorism is putting your hand in your pocket, and that’s what we did here.’
Did you find an error in the article? Does the content in the article violate copyrights that you own? Have you come across an inappropriate ad? Report to us