‘Israel insists on security cooperation in return for tax revenue’

Israeli Shekels’ bills marked with stickers reading ‘Free Palestine’ on March 7, 2011 in the West Bank city of Ramallah [ABBAS MOMANI/AFP/Getty Images]

The head of the Palestinian Authority Prisoners’ and Freed Prisoners’ Commission, Qadri Abu Baker, has said that Israel is insisting on the PA resuming security cooperation in return for the release of tax revenue collected on its behalf by the occupation authorities, Al-Watan Voice reported on Monday.

Abu Baker said that this is one of the conditions made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to transfer the money collected by Israel on behalf of the PA. He stressed that PA President Mahmoud Abbas is sticking to his decision to end security coordination.

The PA official added that Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz has frozen the move by his predecessor Naftali Bennett to sanction Palestinian banks which transfer stipends to freed prisoners and to the families of prisoners and Palestinians killed or wounded by Israel. Freezing the move, does not mean cancelling, though, warned Gantz. Bennett condemned Gantz’s decision.

READ: Will the PA collapse or be dismantled?

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