Palestinian Authority raises salary above inflation for 2002 Hebrew U terrorists

The Palestinian Authority has raised its monthly payments for the eight terrorists responsible for a deadly bombing at Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 2002, according to Palestinian Media Watch.

The increase coincided with the 20th anniversary of the bombing on Sunday, which killed nine people and injured 80 others.

Their payments have been increased by 14.29 per cent, well above the 4.47 per cent rate of inflation in Gaza and the West Bank according to PMW.

The PA has paid Wael Qassem, Wassim Abbasi, Alla Aldin Abbasi and Muhammed Odeh over NIS 8 million (nearly £2 million) over the last 20 years, and their monthly payments are set to increase from NIS 7,000 (£1,700) per month to NIS 8,000 (£1,937).

They are reported to receive an additional NIS 300 shekels (£73) each month because they were residents of Jerusalem prior to their imprisonment.

Muhammad Arman, Walid Anjas, Abdallah Barghouti and Ibrahim Hamed, also convicted of taking part in the attack, reportedly receive a monthly salary from the PA as well.

The Palestinian terrorists bombed the Frank Sinatra Cafeteria at Hebrew University in Jerusalem on 31 July 2002, murdering Janis Routh Coulter, 36, Dina Carter, 38, David Gritz, 24, Daphna Spruch, 61, Levina Shapira, 53, Benjamin Blustein, 25, David Ladowski, 29, Revital Barashi, 30, and Marla Bennet, 24.

Another 80 people were injured in the attack.

News of the increased payments to the bombers was revealed by Palestinian Media Watch who, in a rare coup, obtained copies of official PA documents detailing the salaries paid to a number of prisoners.

Separately, Israel's political and security cabinet on Sunday approved the deduction of approximately £144 million from the tax money that Israel collects for the Palestinian Authority.

According to a Defence Ministry report, the PA transferred $182.82 million (£149 million) in "indirect support for terrorism in 2020," the prime minister's office said, corresponding to the allowances paid to the families of Palestinians imprisoned for having committed attacks in Israel.