| Predecessor | Palestine Mujahidin and Martyrs Fund, Society for the Care of Palestinian Martyrs and Prisoners, SAMED |
|---|---|
| Type | Fund |
| Purpose | Financial support to the families of Palestinians killed, injured, or imprisoned for violence against Israel; payments to Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails |
Parent organization | Palestinian Authority |
Budget (2016) | NIS 1.1 billion (US$303 million, 2016) |
The Palestinian Authority Martyrs Fund are two funds operated by the Palestinian Authority (PA). The Foundation for the Care of the Families of Martyrs pays monthly cash stipends to the families of Palestinians killed, injured, or imprisoned while carrying out violence against Israel.[1] The Prisoners Fund makes disbursements to Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails. In 2016, the PA paid out about NIS 1.1 billion (US$303 million) in stipends and other benefits.[2]
Critics often call the fund "pay for slay" and blame the payments for encouraging terrorism. In 2007, the World Bank argued that the fund did "not seem justified from a welfare or fiscal perspective." By 2014, mounting criticism of the payments led to the PA transferring management of the Martyrs Fund to the Palestinian Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission, of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which now disburses the government-funding to recipients and their families.[citation needed]