PA pays former prisoners $10,000-$50,000 upon release
In addition to monthly salary paid by Palestinian Authority, Palestinian prisoners serving time in Israel jails receive massive prison 'severance package' that can reach up to $60,000. In one case, PA even picked up bill for prisoner's wedding
All those prisoners released during the second batch of prisoner releases which took place last month received a whooping $50,000 from the authority for their time spent in jail.
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In addition, every prisoner who served more than 25-years in an Israel prison will receive the status – and subsequent perks – of deputy minister in the PA or the rank of a military general, both worth a monthly stipend of 14,000 NIS (roughly $3,975).
Those prisoners that served only 15-25 years in jail will receive the status of a ministry director general or military rank of a brigadier general – worth 10,000 NIS (roughly $2,840) a month.
Issa Abed Rabbo, the veteran most prisoner of the group, will receive an additional one time grant of $60,000, and in addition, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas promised him that the PA would pick op the check for his expected weeding.
The defense establishment believes that granting former prisoners such fund might encourage radical and poor Palestinians to turn to terror in a bid to get incarcerated and secure such funds for their families in the future.
It is worth noting that any Palestinian serving time in an Israeli prison for security related offences receives a monthly salary from the PA which varies in according to the sentence being served.
At the end of last month, 26 out of the 104 Palestinian prisoners were released as part of the second batch of such releases. The prisoners were welcomed by Abbas as heroes and were photographed waving to cheering crowds in Ramallah, rising their hands in a v-sign to mark victory.
At the time, Abbas vowed to continue his efforts to ensure that all prisoners are released, and that he will not sign any agreement with Israel until all prisoners are released. "There will not be an agreement with Israel even if one prisoner remains behind bars," he said.
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