Conference of Presidents condemns PA payments to terrorists

(New York, NY) — Chairman Arthur Stark, CEO William Daroff and Vice Chair Malcolm Hoenlein of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, issued the following statement:

“Once again, we demand that the Palestinian Authority stop encouraging and incentivizing terror through its reprehensible pay-to-slay policies rewarding acts of terror against Israelis by financially compensating perpetrators and their families with so-called martyr payments. Palestinian leadership is going to extraordinary lengths to continue these payments, insisting on paying convicted terrorists a three month, lump sum ‘salary’ before the end of the year.

The pay-to-slay scheme is an unconscionable insult to the memory of the many innocent victims of Palestinian terrorism from Israel, America, and around the world. The international community must recognize this as a barbaric and unacceptable practice that incentivizes terror and bloodshed. More countries are cutting aid to the PA to protest this abhorrent practice. The Palestinian Authority must discontinue these immoral payments immediately by abolishing its ‘Martyrs Fund.’

Global attention must be drawn to the fact that this policy exists and persists, and we urge all who respect the dignity of human life to condemn it unequivocally.”