RAMALLAH, May 8, 2018 (WAFAF) – Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee member and lawmaker Hanan Ashrawi strongly condemned on Monday passing by the Israel parliament of  the first reading of a draft law that would allow the Israeli Defense Ministry to control the funds allocated to Palestinian prisoners and their families from custom revenues transferred to the Palestinian government by Israel, describing the law as outright theft.

"The proposed legislation is nothing short of outright theft. Under military occupation, we are unable to control our borders and crossing points. The Israeli occupying power is obliged to collect customs on behalf of the Palestinian government. However, it does so while deducting a 3% charge of the total amount. This makes the military occupation a very profitable economic venture for Israel,” said Ashrawi in a statement.

“Such funds legally belong to the Palestinian people and should be directly transferred to us without any manipulations or deductions. Any withholding of funds amounts to economic appropriation and robbery,” added the PLO official.

“This deliberate escalation in the Israeli government‘s adoption and implementation of illegal laws and policies is in the service of its occupation and maintains its coercive system of control.

“Israel must not be allowed to persist in treating Palestinian lands, lives and livelihoods as though they are at its disposal," she concluded.

M.K.