The Palestinian NGOs Network PNGO warned of the serious implications of the Israeli occupation’s decision to withhold millions of Palestinian tax revenues allocated for the families of martyrs, wounded and detainees. PNGO consider this step as “piracy” which goes beyond its stated goals of stopping funding those families under unconvincing excuses, but it has long-term economic and political goals at the level of the Palestinian economy and society and tightening the pressure in various ways.

PNGO called on the Palestinian Authorities to continue fulfilling its commitments to pay salaries to those families affected by this dangerous decision made by the occupation authorities on the one hand, and moving at all international and regional levels to highlight the serious ramifications resulting from it. Additionally, PNGO demands the international community to stop the Israeli arrogance that aims at pressuring Palestinians to accept unfair solutions that detract from their legitimate rights guaranteed by the international law. This dangerous targeting of detainees at this particular stage comes in light of the escalated systematic attacks by the prison administration on a daily basis, in an exchange of roles and within the same methodology.

PNGO emphasized the importance of official and popular actions to face this rejected decision and stealing our people’s rights without any consideration from the occupation that the officials responsible for this decision could be held accountable for this and the other crimes committed in the Palestinian territory. In this context, PNGO Network called for putting an acceptable plan at the national level, with the participation of all relevant parties, official and civil, to act at the international level to expose these procedures. This would also require a clear position to implement decisions of the National and Central councils regarding abolishing economic, political and security agreements with the occupation, and the most important of which is the economic Paris Protocol. This agreement has to be abolished to end dependency of the Palestinian economy on the Israeli due to this unjust agreement, which controls the main aspects of the economy and daily life of the Palestinian people.

The network called for finding a serious response for this decision to establish a clear plan to strengthen the local economy without imposing new tax measures, but rather through clear austerity plans, specifically at the administrative expenses, senior positions, and work on different economic policies based on strengthening the steadfastness of the people. In addition, the PA should not bow to the occupation and its measures aimed at undermining the basis of the Palestinian economy and target any elements of development, and it should adopt the most extensive boycott campaigns of the occupation products, a very important issue that is not used effectively by Palestinian society, and focus on the consumption of Palestinian product. This requires that the Palestinian private sector to bear part of the burden in the national economic needs and to adopt productive development approaches to fill the needs of the Palestinian market.

The network reasserted that this decision will not succeed in breaking the will of detainees, the wounded and martyrs’ families. The Palestinian people will not be deterred to stop demanding their legitimate rights guaranteed by the international resolutions.

The Israeli government decided to implement a previous decision to deduct NIS 502 million of tax revenues earmarked for families of martyrs, detainees and the wounded in an attempt to stigmatize the national struggle with terrorism and in light of the election propaganda fever in Israel.

(PNGO is a network of 145 members in the West Bank and Gaza Strip)