In its 2018 budget, the PA allocated around NIS 1.28 billion (around USD 360 million), approximately 7% of the budget, to two institutions that assist terrorists imprisoned in Israel, released terrorists, and families of shahids. The institutions are the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Fund for Families of Martyrs and the Injured, both of which are subordinate to the PLO. Since 2014, the amount allocated to the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs has been removed from the PA budget (in an attempt to disguise the fact that it is the PA that finances the payments to imprisoned and released terrorists). Now, the amount earmarked for the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs has once again been openly included in the PA budget. In the ITIC’s assessment, this is a blatant act of defiance against the United States, which recently passed the Taylor Force Act (which stipulates cutting back part of the American aid to the PA until it stops paying stipends to prisoners, released terrorists, and families of shahids).

Payments in the 2018 budget dealing with prisoners, released terrorists, and families of shahids
  • On March 4, 2018, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas approved the PA’s 2018 budget, in the sum of around NIS 18 billion (around USD 5 billion). The budget specifies the allocation of funds to government ministries and various bodies. The budget includes two items dealing with the allocation of funds to two institutions subordinate to the PLO that assist terrorists and their families:
    • The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs (Item 46): This institution, which pays the stipends of imprisoned and released terrorists, has been allocated the amount of around NIS 582 million[1] (around USD 165 million). This commission is headed by PA Minister Issa Karake. On May 29, 2014, this institution was made subordinate to the PLO, in order to mislead the donor countries[2]. In 2014-2017, the name of the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs was removed from the list of institutions in the budget, but this year it was returned to the budget (for details about this institution and its head, see Appendix A).
    • The Fund for Families of Martyrs and the Injured (Item 47): This institution, which pays stipends to the families of shahids and injured terrorists, has been allocated the amount of around NIS 696 million[3] (around USD 197 million). This is an institution that has been subordinate to the PLO since 2005. It is headed by Intissar al-Wazir (Umm Jihad), one of the most senior women in Fatah, the widow of Fatah’s military commander Khalil al-Wazir (Abu Jihad). Unlike the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, this institution continued to appear in the PA budget without attempts at concealment (for details about this institution and Umm Jihad, see Appendix B).

Items 46 and 47 of the 2018 budget (marked by arrows) including the sums of money allocated to the two institutions dealing with prisoners, released terrorists, and the families of martyrs. Bottom left: (red markings added by the ITIC): Total amounts allocated to these institutions. Top left: Signature of Mahmoud Abbas. Left: Date of approval of the budget: March 4, 2018
Items 46 and 47 of the 2018 budget (marked by arrows) including the sums of money allocated to the two institutions dealing with prisoners, released terrorists, and the families of martyrs. Bottom left: (red markings added by the ITIC): Total amounts allocated to these institutions. Top left: Signature of Mahmoud Abbas. Left: Date of approval of the budget: March 4, 2018

2018 Budget

The PA’s 2018 budget: The total budget is NIS 18.089 billion. Item B (marked with an arrow) is an estimate of the amount of external aid and donations to the general budget (NIS 2.160 billion). Item C (marked with an arrow) is an estimate of the external grants for development purposes (NIS 630 million). In total, the PA expects to receive NIS 2.790  billion (around USD 790 million) in aid from donor countries in 2018. Hence the allocations for assistance to prisoners, released terrorists, and shahids represent nearly 46% of the foreign aid funds that the PA expects to receive.
The PA’s 2018 budget: The total budget is NIS 18.089 billion. Item B (marked with an arrow) is an estimate of the amount of external aid and donations to the general budget
(NIS 2.160 billion). Item C (marked with an arrow) is an estimate of the external grants for development purposes (NIS 630 million). In total, the PA expects to receive NIS 2.790  billion (around USD 790 million) in aid from donor countries in 2018. Hence the allocations for assistance to prisoners, released terrorists, and shahids represent nearly 46% of the foreign aid funds that the PA expects to receive.

Allocations of funds for supporting prisoners, released terrorists, and families of shahids and the wounded

Allocations of funds for supporting prisoners, released terrorists, and families of shahids and the wounded

The total amount in the PA budget allocated in 2018 to support prisoners, released terrorists, and families of shahids is NIS 1.278 billion[4](around USD 360 million). This amount represents about 7% of the total budget, similar to the percentage in the previous six years.For example, in 2013 (the year before the budget of the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs disappeared from the PA’s budget), the budget allocated to support prisoners, released terrorists and families of martyrs was NIS 1.027 billion. This amount represented around 7.18% of the total budget (which was NIS 14.3 billion in 2013). Hence the rate of around 7% of the budget is constant and has been maintained over the past six years.[5]

Appendix A
The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs

The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs is an institution headed by PA Minister Issa Karake. On May 29, 2014, this institution was made subordinate to the PLO, in order to mislead the donor countries (mainly the United States) and to create the impression that their aid funds are not being used for funding terrorism. In practice, however, the funds for the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs belong to the PA budget and are transferred to the PLO as part of the PA’s commitment to support terrorists taking part in the struggle against Israel.

  • The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs was established in 1998 following a presidential decree issued by Yasser Arafat, for the establishment of a ministry to handle the issue of Palestinian prisoners (i.e., terrorists) arrested by Israel. On May 29, 2014, Mahmoud Abbas issued a presidential decree changing the name of the ministry to the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and making it subordinate to the PLO. Following the publication of this order, Minister Issa Karake (formerly minister of prisoner affairs in the PA) was appointed to serve as Chairman of the Commission, with the status of Minister. This institution supports terrorists in prison in Israel, released prisoners, and their families, and fights for their release from Israeli prisons (Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs website in Arabic, June 26, 2017).
  • Issa Karake is a veteran Fatah operative from Bethlehem who heads the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs. He was previously imprisoned in Israel for terrorist activities. Between 1993 and 2005 he served as Chairman of the Palestinian Prisoners Club. Since 2007 he has served as Minister of Prisoners in the PA (although in 2014 his ministry was made subordinate to the PLO). He is also a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council. He displays a radical and uncompromising attitude against Israel. He frequently criticizes and attacks Israel in the Palestinian and international media because of its conduct towards Palestinian prisoners.
Appendix B
The Fund for Families of Martyrs and the Injured[6]

The Fund for Families of Martyrs and the Injured is a PLO institution that takes care of the families of shahids (i.e., terrorists who were killed) and the wounded. This institution receives its budget from the PA. It is headed by Intissar al-Wazir (Umm Jihad), one of the most senior women in Fatah.

  • The Fund for Families of Martyrs and the Injured was established in 1965. It began as a welfare committee in Fatah, and was headed since its establishment by Intissar al-Wazir. In the beginning, the fund took care of 11 families of shahids. In 1968, with the increase in the number of families of Palestinian shahids and injured, it was decided to turn the committee into an institution and open its first office in Amman. In 1971, it was decided to make the institution subordinate to the PLO. With the establishment of the PA in 1993 and the return of its senior leaders from abroad, it was decided to make the institution subordinate to the PA Ministry of Welfare as a general directorate. In 2005, Mahmoud Abbas issued a presidential decree ordering the separation of the institution from the Palestinian Ministry of Welfare and making it subordinate to the PLO, but its budget continues to come from the PA.

Facebook profile photo of the Fund for Families of Martyrs and the Injured, indicating that it is subordinate to the PLO (Facebook page of the Fund for Families of Martyrs and the Injured, August 28, 2014)
Facebook profile photo of the Fund for Families of Martyrs and the
Injured, indicating that it is subordinate to the PLO (Facebook page of the
Fund for Families of Martyrs and the Injured, August 28, 2014)

  • The fund cares for the families of shahids and injured Palestinians. It pays them monthly pensions and provides them with welfare, health, education and rehabilitation services. The fund cares for tens of thousands of families (in 2012 it cared for more than 30,000 families of shahids and injured Palestinians). It operates two central offices, one in Ramallah and the other in Gaza, along with 15 sub-branches throughout Judea and Samaria (Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, October 11, 2015).
  • Over the years, the PA has passed laws guaranteeing the rights of the families of shahids and the injured (i.e., terrorist). They are also given priority over others with regard to employment in the PA. According to the updated Basic Law of the PA for 2005, Article 22/2: “Maintaining the welfare of families of martyrs, [so-called] prisoners of war,[7] the injured and the disabled is a duty that shall be regulated by law. The National Authority shall guarantee these persons education, health and social insurance” (aman-palestine.org, December 2010).
  • The fund is headed by Intissar al-Wazir (Umm Jihad), one of the most senior Fatah officials, who lives in Ramallah. She was born in Gaza in 1941. Her husband was Khalil al-Wazir (Abu Jihad), the senior Fatah military commander who was killed in Tunis. In addition to her position as chairwoman of the Fund for Families of Martyrs and the Injured, she is also a member of Fatah’s Advisory Council and serves as chairwoman of the General Union of Palestinian Women (which is subordinate to the PLO). She formerly served as a member of Fatah’s Central Committee and as welfare minister in the Palestinian Authority.
Transfer of the pensions to families of shahids in the Gaza Strip
  • On October 20, 2016 in Ramallah, Intissar al-Wazir signed an agreement with Quds Bank for transferring pensions to the families of shahids in the Gaza Strip. The agreement was signed with Quds Bank CEO Akram Jrab (Al-Watan, October 20, 2016).

[1] The exact amount is NIS 581,654. ↑
[2] Previously, this body was the Ministry of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs in the PA government. ↑
[3] The exact amount is NIS 696,301. ↑
[4] The exact amount is NIS 1,277,955,000. ↑
[5] According to the information in the ITIC’s possession and data appearing in Brig. Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser’s study: “Incentivizing Terrorism: Palestinian Authority Allocations to Terrorists and their Families,” Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs. ↑
[6] In Arabic, Mu’assassat Ri’ayat Ussar al-Shuhadaa wal-Jarha. ↑
[7] The Palestinians refer to the terrorists imprisoned in Israel, some of them for murdering women and children, as “prisoners of war.” ↑

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