British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that the discontinuation of the Palestinian Authority’s “pay for slay” policy was a prerequisite to fully establishing diplomatic relations with a Palestinian state, according to a report from the Telegraph on Monday.
The “pay for slay” policy refers to a program in which the PA provides financial stipends to the families of Palestinians who committed violent crimes against Israelis.
According to a United Nations document from the 2022 Human Rights Council meeting, the “pay to slay” policy does not offer stipends for non-violent crimes, such as theft.
Stipends directly correlate to how serious the offense committed is
The families of terrorists who are killed receive approximately $870 a month. The families of terrorists in prison for their violent crimes receive up to approximately $2,615 a month, the Telegraph reported.
The severity of the crimes committed directly correlates to the amount of money the PA gives to families, the UN reported. In essence, this means that the longer the prison sentence or the more severe the crime, the higher the stipend the PA pays.
PA President Mahmoud Abbas issued an order to repeal the “pay to slay” policies in February, although it is unknown whether he actually enforced it at the time.
Abbas asserted his intent to follow Starmer’s request. “The State of Palestine is pursuing a comprehensive reform agenda to strengthen governance, transparency, and the rule of law," Abbas said.
The reforms are set to include financial reform, educational reform, and the establishment of a “unified social welfare system, following the cancellation of all previous payments to families of prisoners and martyrs, now under international audit by a specialized firm,” Abbas added.