Politalk.ca

Following three European nations’ announcements that they will recognize a Palestinian state, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich demands that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu impose “harsh punitive measures” against the Palestinian Authority, including cutting off Ramallah financially.

“At the last cabinet meeting, many ministers, including myself, raised an unequivocal demand for harsh punitive measures against the Palestinian Authority for its unilateral actions against Israel, including its pursuit of unilateral recognition” and its support of legal cases against Israel in The Hague, Smotrich writes to Netanyahu.

But despite the diplomatic move by Ireland, Spain and Norway and International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Karim Khan’s decision to seek arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant along with Hamas leaders, officials in the National Security Council have pushed back against measures to punish Ramallah, Smotrich complains.
Smotrich informs the prime minister that he intends to take immediate action to cut off the transfer of funds to the Palestinian administrative body and says that he will not extend the indemnity given to the Israeli banks that transfer funds to banks in the West Bank.