Abbas Heading Organization Designated by Israel as Terror Group

Abbas has been announced by the PLO as “responsible” for a terror organization. What is the significance?

By: United with Israel Staff

The PLO this week announced that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is “responsible for the Palestinian National Fund,” an organization officially designated last year by Israel as a terror organization.

On March 16, 2017, Israeli Minister of Defense Avigdor Liberman declared the Palestinian National Fund (PNF) to be a terror organization due to its “massive support for elements responsible for committing severe acts of terrorism against Israel” and because the fund serves “as a significant financial pipeline for tens of millions of shekels that are transferred on a monthly basis to security prisoners held in Israel for committing acts of terrorism and to members of their families.”

What is the significance of the announcement that Abbas is now “responsible” for a terror organization?

Israel’s 2016 Counter-Terrorism Law states that “one who heads a terror organization or manages it or takes part in directing the terror organization in general, directly or indirectly, his sentence – 25 years imprisonment.”

Therefore, the fact that Abbas is officially “responsible” for PNF means he is in violation of Israel’s Counter-Terrorism Law and could be jailed for 25 years.

The PNF serves as a significant financial pipeline for tens of millions of shekels transferred on a monthly basis to security prisoners held in Israel for committing acts of terror and to members of their families.

In accordance with Palestinian practice, the longer the sentence given to the incarcerated terrorist, the greater the payments are to the prisoner and his or her family.

The fund also supports family members of terrorists who were wounded or killed while perpetrating acts of terrorism against Israel.

In its 2018 budget, the PA increased the funding and allocated $360 million for the Prisoners and Martyrs fund, which disperses payment to imprisoned terrorists, released terrorists and the families of dead terrorists.

Israel has demonstrated that these stipends reward terrorism and has stepped up a campaign against such funding.

Israel recently passed a law that aims to put an end to the PA practice dubbed “pay to slay,” which provides salaries to Palestinian and Israeli Arabs who attack Jews, with varying amounts given according to crime and sentence as well as additional funds for Israeli Arab terrorists.

“Terror has become a comfortable business for families,” said Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon in July 2016. “This encourages violence.”