In a bold move after his India visit, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich redirected nearly ₪1 billion in frozen Palestinian Authority funds to Israeli families devastated by terror, declaring economic warfare against PA’s “pay-for-slay” policy.
Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich returned from India on Thursday and wasted no time making a dramatic announcement: he signed off on the seizure and redirection of frozen Palestinian Authority (PA) funds to compensate victims of terror.
Over the last month, his ministry completed the transfer of ₪90 million directly to families of terror victims. In parallel, an additional ₪900 million—previously frozen because the PA used such money to reward terrorists’ families—has now been officially seized and earmarked for Israeli victims.
Smotrich declared:
“Instead of the Palestinian Authority transferring money to terrorist families, we will transfer it to the families of terror victims. The war on terror is fought not only on the battlefield, but also through economic tools.”
The Finance Minister vowed to continue using financial levers as a weapon, reinforcing his hardline stance that Israel will choke off PA incentives for terrorism and instead channel those very funds to strengthen the victims’ families.
