Following the firestorm over transferring Palestinian tax money collected by Israel to the PA, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir ordered an end to the depositing of PA funds for security prisoners at the prison cantina. Until now, the PA transferred a sum of 400 NIS a month for each security prisoner – about 6,000 in total - for a joint cantina fund in the prison.
Ben Gvir opposed the transfer of the funds to the PA to begin with, but his position was not accepted. Once the war began, the cessation of the money transfer was agreed to, as an ongoing discussion within the National Security Council on the matter continued.
Ben Gvir Joins Smotrich’s Fight
The National Security Minister thus joins the fight of Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich against the transfer of funds to the PA. Smotrich appealed three days ago in a letter to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, where he said that he instructed the Finance Ministry to not transfer the tax money to the PA due to its support for the October 7 Massacre and appealing to the Hague.
The Defense Minister responded that “it is appropriate to deliver and immediately transfer funds to the Palestinian Authority such that it serves its forces who help prevent terrorism. The cabinet decision should be carried out.”
The Finance Minister responded that “I appreciate the Defense Minister and support his working night and day for Israeli security. His position in favor of transferring funds to the PA is a serious error.”