The issue of the tax funds continues to rock the Palestinian Authority (PA). Two days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave the green light to unfreeze the funds withheld in January 2015, less than a third to cover PA debts to Israel, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that he would refuse to accept the money and turn instead to the International Criminal Court (ICC). During an April 5 speech in Ramallah, he said, "We are returning the money. Either they give it to us in full or we go to arbitration or to the court (ICC). We will not accept anything else."
Immediately after the refusal, PA employees were notified that in light of the financial situation, their salaries would be slashed by 40%. This elicited great agitation among the staff, including security forces and civil servants, all of whom have been only partially paid in the past four months. They're angry that at this stage, the PA is only threatening Israel with filing a complaint with the ICC — a process that could take a very long time, while they remain without a means to provide for their families and pay off debts.
