One of the most ingrained and despicable activities of the Palestinian Authority is its “pay for slay” program that rewards Palestinians for committing acts of terrorism against Jewish Israelis.
The multimillion-dollar program is written into Palestinian law and administered by the Palestinian Authority. It provides monthly payments to Palestinians convicted of violent acts against Israelis and imprisoned for their crimes. The program’s reward for violence payments, which are adjusted to account for increases in cost of living, increase with the length of the offender’s prison sentence and cover the criminal’s social security and pension fees.
When the prisoner is released, the benefits continue, with lump-sum grants of up to $25,000 depending on the duration of incarceration. And then, employment in a government institution is guaranteed, with placement prioritized based upon the number of years spent in prison. Released prisoners also get free college education and lifelong health care. And if a terrorist is killed during an attack or by Israeli forces, their family is supported through the “martyrs” fund, with monthly payments to spouses for life and to children until they reach adulthood.
In 2018, the U.S. enacted the Taylor Force Act, which conditions certain economic grants to the PA on the cessation of payments to terrorists and their families. But payments have continued and were increased significantly after Oct. 7, 2023. Estimates of current annual expenditures by the PA on its “pay for slay” program exceed $325 million.
In March 2024, the Knesset passed a law to allow victims of terror and their relatives to sue the Palestinian Authority for damages. Before the law was passed, terror victims and their families could either sue individual terrorists for damages or receive compensation form Israel’s National Insurance Institute. The new law also allows a terror victim or victim’s family to sue anyone who “provides a salary” for acts of terrorism.
The PA challenged the Knesset law in Israel’s High Court of Justice, claiming that the law is unconstitutional. This was the first time that the PA sought “protection” in an Israeli court and prompted controversy over whether the court should even accord the PA standing to challenge the Knesset law. The High Court took the case.
In a decision last week, Israel’s Supreme Court upheld the Knesset law and endorsed the right of terror victims to sue the PA for injury and damage caused by terror attacks rewarded by the PA. And since the law allows recovery from tax dollars held by Israel for allocation to the PA, a fund for recovery is available for victimized Israelis and their families.
The PA has a simple choice. If the PA leadership is genuinely interested in any form of peaceful coexistence with Israel, it must abandon its hateful “pay for slay” program along with all of its other activities designed to vilify Israelis and Jews. If not, the PA will, literally, pay double for violence and terror attacks against Israelis. And the victim compensation side of things will be much more expensive. ■
