[Algemeiner] The Palestinian Authority’s 2017 budget shows a "huge increase" in the funding of salaries for imprisoned terrorists and the families of "martyrs," an Israeli research institute revealed on Wednesday.According to Palestinian Media Watch (PMW), the amount of money allocated by the PA for payments to terrorists jailed in Israel rose 13% this year to $158 million -- compared to $135 million in 2016. During the same time frame, disbursements for family members of dead terrorists increased by 4% -- to $197 million from $183 million.
Overall, PMW said, the PA is spending $355 million this year on the direct funding of terrorism.
Itamar Marcus -- the founder and director of PMW -- told The Algemeiner on Wednesday, "There is no greater promotion of terror then the PA’s financially rewarding terrorists who have murdered Israelis. However it is critical to understand why the PA pays the salaries and why they refuse to stop. The PA claims that they have a right under international law to ’resist’ Israel and that includes murdering Israelis. They argue to their own people that to stop paying the salaries to prisoners would be to admit that all of the prisoners including murderers of women and children are terrorists and not legitimate ’freedom fighters.’ Accordingly, as horrific as the PA’s rewarding terror is, it is a symptom of a much deeper problem. The essential problem is that the PA tells its people they have a right to kill Israelis. Paying salaries to the killers who get caught and are imprisoned is a symptom."