Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opened Sunday’s cabinet meeting by praising the Taylor Force Act passed on Friday in the US under which the US government will cut financial aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) if it transfers money to Palestinian prisoners or their families.
Meanwhile two similar bills in Israel have been delayed in recent months due to objections by the defense and finance ministries who prefer to leave the matter up to the security cabinet rather than have it legislated.
The first is sponsored by the government and initiated by Israel’s War Minister Avigdor Lieberman while the second is private and presented by MK Elazar Stern.
Stern’s bill to cut back funding to the PA was passed in its initial Knesset vote while Lieberman’s was approved a month ago by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation.
War Ministry lawyer Gal Cohen said that the government bill is preferable because it is more flexible.
