While former President Donald Trump and Governor Ron DeSantis continue trading barbs in the contentious 2024 Republican presidential primary race, the two men appear to be on the same page on most issues, particularly on the issue of defunding Palestinian terrorism in the Middle East and supporting Israel.
In response to a Wall Street Journal Editorial Opinion, Gov. DeSantis condemned the ongoing practice by the West Bank-base Palestinian Authority of paying families a ‘death benefit’ payment or “Pay for Slay” after a family member dies while committing an act of terrorism.
In other words, if a terrorist kills an American or Israeli, his or her family gets compensated, and the funds used to pay them are monies that the PA receives from foreign aid.
DeSantis has condemned the Biden Administration’s reversing of the $200 million in humanitarian aid to Gaza and the West Bank that former President Trump canceled while he was in office.
“It is a disgrace the Biden Admin is funding and empowering the terror-supporting PA that has praised the heinous Hamas attack on Oct. 7. The PA and Hamas share the same goal of destroying Israel,” stated Gov. DeSantis.
The Administration announced its intentions to reverse Trump’s humanitarian aid ban several years back.
“[We] plan to restart US economic, development, and humanitarian assistance for the Palestinian people,” the secretary of state, Antony Blinken, said in a statement.
Shortly after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack against Israel that left 1,400 Israelis, Americans, and other foreign nationals dead, Gov. DeSantis, Trump, and Ambassador Nikki Haley, all blamed the Administration of funding the attack.
DeSantis added that if he is elected president, he would “end U.S. funding to the Palestinians,” and impose sanctions against the Palestinian Authority for its “reprehensible “pay-for-slay” program.”
“I will end U.S. funding to the Palestinians, impose sanctions on the PA for the reprehensible “pay-for-slay” program that incentivizes and rewards terrorism against Israelis and Americans, and reject a so-called two-state solution that serves as a stepping stone to the destruction of Israel,” added DeSantis.
Both DeSantis and Haley praised Trump's moving of the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018.
"The establishment of our embassy in Jerusalem fulfills long-standing US policy as enacted by the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995. It was an honor to be there at this historic occasion! Thanks President Trump for being first president to honor his promise to establish this embassy," stated DeSantis.
The establishment of our embassy in Jerusalem fulfills long-standing US policy as enacted by the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995. It was an honor to be there at this historic occasion! Thanks President Trump for being first president to honor his promise to establish this embassy. pic.twitter.com/LOiVGrIWyM
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) May 14, 2018
Here is an overview of the Palestinian Authorities’ pro-terrorism “Pay-for-Slay” laws”
Pay for Slay Laws According to “Amended Palestinian Prisoners Law No. 19 (2004),” which are Palestinian laws passed in 2004 and amended in 2013, Palestinians and Israeli Arabs who are convicted by Israel of involvement in terror attacks in Israel - “participation in the struggle against the occupation” - are entitled to monthly “salaries” commencing with their arrest - and continuing for life for men who serve at least five years and women who serve at least two - along with additional cash grants for such things as tuition fees at government schools and universities, health insurance, and priority civil-service job placements upon their release.
The PA law specifies that the financial support is for the “fighting sector,” an “integral part of the fabric of Arab Palestinian society.”
Basically, the law dictates that the deadlier the terror attack, the richer the reward.
The total payments from the PA for Pay for Slay equaled $315 million in 2016, or 8% of the PA budget of $4.4 billion.
This sum is divided into two separate payments: 1) the Prisoners and Released Prisoners Ministry to administer this program of support, which received a budget allocation of $118 million in 2014 and $140 million in 2016; and 2) the Institution for the Care for the Families of the Martyrs to provide for the families of dead terrorists, which was allocated $163 million in 2014 and $175 million in 2016.
For individual payments, the salaries start at $400 per month for terrorists incarcerated for up to three years. They rise to $570 per month for those incarcerated for three to five years, and $1,142 per month for five to 10 years. For those serving more than 30 years, the salary is $3,429 per month. The gross national product per capita amount in the West Bank is $258 per month. For one-time grants to released prisoners, these start at $1,500 for terrorists who served one to three years and rise to $6,000 for those with 11-to-15-year terms, and $25,000 for those who served over 30 years. Bonuses are paid if the terrorists are Israeli Arabs or Arab residents of Jerusalem. There are more than 500 civil servants dedicated to disbursing these funds. The ministry in the Palestinian government called the Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners was original
