Executive Summary

The Palestinian Authority (PA), which has crafted an image for itself as a bureaucratic, moderate, pragmatic and civilian-led Palestinian government, certainly when compared to its rival Palestinian organization, Hamas, plays an active role in the armed struggle against Israel in multiple ways, including the administration of a well-oiled and well-budgeted economic apparatus designed to incentivize organized as well as random acts of terror perpetrated by Palestinians against innocent Israelis. This is the “Pay for Slay” apparatus.

According to Palestinian law, which designates the terrorists as “the Palestinian people’s combat wing”, imprisoned terrorists are rewarded on a sliding scale, based on the number of years they are serving in prison. Upon their 30th year in prison, their salaries reach $3,750 USD per month, equivalent to the salary of the President of the Palestinian Supreme Court, and eight times the average minimum salary in Gaza and in Judea and Samaria (“the West Bank”). It is also 4 times the per capita average monthly salary earned by Palestinians.

Incarcerated terrorists who were released after having served more than 5 years in prison continue receiving a salary, even after their release, as well as a one-time release payout ranging from $5,000 to…