After Israel Hayom revealed that the Palestinians receive hundreds of millions of shekels in aid following a 50 percent cut in the fuel tax collected from the Palestinian Authority, harsh criticism is voiced by the opposition.
Smotrich signs NIS 139 million deduction from Palestinian Authority funds // Yoni Rickner
Yesh Atid MK Merav Ben-Ari tweeted that if this had been done in her government, the reactions would have looked different: "The right-wing government full of full full spark! Aid to the Palestinian Authority in the amount of NIS 350 million! You heard that right, after we finished transporting armored vehicles, we switched to cash. As far as I'm concerned, by the way, they will abide by the agreements with the PA, but if our government took such a step, you know what would be so? A government of terror supporters, money for terrorists and more and more pathetic lies." Later, she deleted the tweet.
Matan Kahane also tweeted: "Contrary to its declarations, the 'Full Right' coalition strengthens the Palestinian Authority."
Contrary to its declarations,
the "Full Right"
coalition strengthens the Palestinian Authority.@bezalelsm @itamarbengvir @oritstrock @netanyahu pic.twitter.com/OZ3mXkpAao
— Matan Kahana Matan Kahane (@MatanKahana) October 1, 2023
As noted, Israel recently cut the fuel tax it collects from the Palestinian Authority by 50 percent. The tax now stands at 1.5%, instead of 3%, as it has been since the economic agreements between Israel and the Palestinians were signed in 1994.
The offset leads to savings of NIS 80 million a year in the Palestinian Authority's budget and was published last week by the Coordinator of Government Activities in Judea and Samaria and the Gaza Strip.
According to the report, additional economic concessions that Israel has taken in favor of the PA since the beginning of 2023 total NIS 270 million. This is an increase in tax payments to the PA to an average of 730 million shekels a month, compared with about half a million three years ago. It should be noted that Israel is increasing the provisions for tax payments it supposedly collects on behalf of the Palestinians, even though the authorities are aware that a significant portion of the reports are forged and the goods are sold in Israel and not in the PA.
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