Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political and security cabinet is expected on Sunday to approve a series of economic benefits for the Palestinian Authority, on the recommendations of the security establishment’s fear of the PA’s financial collapse. Among other things, the cabinet is expected to approve the development of a natural gas field off the coast of the Gaza Strip, industrial areas in Judea and Samaria, the expansion of the Allenby crossing, and tax benefits and debt forgiveness to will help the PA live up to its obligation to pay terrorists behind bars in Israel and their families. Every one of these benefits will cost Israeli taxpayers billions of shekels.
Also: PA VIPs will once again be able to roam undisturbed inside green line Israel.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir expressed a sweeping objection to supporting the PA, because, according to his circle, “there is not a day that they do not incite against Israel, there is not a day that the PA’s education system does not call for the murder of Jews, there is not a day that they do not call for the boycott of Israel. Rewarding them for all of this is an unwise and illogical decision, and at the cabinet meeting he intends to oppose the planned benefits package.”
The heads of the Land of Israel lobby, MKs Yuli Edelstein, Simcha Rothman, and Limor Son Har Melech also hate the idea. They issued a statement saying: “During the weeks when Jews are murdered in the streets and on the roads, in Eli as in Tel Aviv, when the haters of Israel commit acts of criminal malice against our citizens, while the Palestinian Authority continues to pay salaries to terrorists and works in every possible way to harm the State of Israel, there is no place for this right-wing government to reward terrorism.”
Meanwhile, the Saudi newspaper Elaf quoted a senior PA security source who confirmed that Chairman Mahmoud Abbas instructed his security services to do everything necessary to control the Jenin camp, establish order, law, and security there, remove all undisciplined gunmen, and rebuild the camp with Algerian and Emirati funds and Islamic and Arab donations under the PA’s direct supervision.
Following the cabinet meeting on Sunday, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said there won’t be any relief given to the PA.
