Israel Withholds Palestinian Tax Revenue, Freezes Accounts

Following up on false reports of a deal to resume peace talks, Israel has announced a series of “economic sanctions” against the Palestinian Authority, including withholding their tax revenue and freezing many of their bank accounts.

Under the terms of the Oslo Accords, Israel collects certain taxes for the PA in the occupied West Bank, and transfers them regularly to the tune of about $100 million per month.

The process also means that Israel regularly announces its intentions to withhold the money, a large chunk of the PA’s operating budget, whenever the two sides are at odds, as with the recent collapse of peace talks.

While Israel couched the move as “punishment” for the Palestinians, the PA’s chief negotiator Saeb Erekat dubbed the move “theft,” saying it was also a violation of international law and would further harm the attempts to resume talks.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.