Shtayyeh: ‘Israel must return our money without extortion, conditions’

Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said yesterday that the Israeli occupation authorities “must” return Palestinian money it is withholding “without extortion or conditions.”

At the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting, Shtayyeh said: “Israel must return our money withheld without extortion or conditions. Our people are fully aware of the reality of the matter and reject this extortion.”

Shtayyeh stressed that Israel conditions the return of the Palestinian money it has been withholding on stopping efforts to ensure Tel Aviv is held accountable for its ongoing occupation in international forums, which “will not happen.”

“What should actually be done is for Israel to stop its aggression against the Palestinian people, killing, settlement and piracy of Palestinian funds, and to return to a path that will end the occupation based on UN resolutions and international law.”

On Sunday, the Israeli Cabinet for Security and Political Affairs adopted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal to “prevent the collapse of the PA”. The decision is conditional on a set of demands that include the PA’s almost complete subordination to the occupation.

“In the absence of a change in the national assessment, Israel will work to prevent the collapse of the Palestinian Authority, while advancing the claim to cease its activities against Israel in the international legal-political arena, from the incitement in its media and education systems, from payments to the families of terrorists and murderers, and from the illegal construction in Area C,” a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office explained.

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