After the PA threatened Netanyahu and Galant with arrest warrants: Smotrich's revenge

In the background of the dangerous moves promoted by the Palestinian Authority against Israel in the international institutions, and the fear in Israel that following Palestinian activity on the political level, the Hague intends to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials – Finance Minister Smotritz delivered a firm message to the Biden administration. Smotritz's message was delivered in the form of a letter, which he sent to the head The Netanyahu government.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich sent a letter today (Thursday) to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he announced the steps he would take in response to the political actions of the Palestinian Authority.

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In his letter, Smotrich wrote: "As you know, in recent years the Palestinian Authority has promoted a series of unilateral moves against Israel in international bodies, including the ICC, the ICJ, the Security Council and the UN General Assembly. As you remember, even before the war and already about a year ago, as part of the cabinet deliberations, I asked to hold a strategic discussion in the framework of which we would draw up a profit and loss balance sheet from the existence of the Palestinian Authority and examine the continuation of our relationship with it. I argued that given the dangerous strategic consequences of the legal proceedings conducted by the Palestinian Authority against Israel, it would be harmed It surpasses the tactical benefits that we derive from the security coordination with it in Yosh and its countermeasures."

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"If until now it was possible to postpone this discussion and think that it would be possible to deal with the procedures that the PA is promoting and prevent them from reaching a dangerous point for us, now it seems that the stranglehold is tightening around us with a series of moves that the PA is promoting under the auspices of the war in Gaza, a stranglehold whose purpose is to turn the Israel is a leper in the world, to harm the IDF and the economy and unilaterally impose on Israel the establishment of a terrorist state in Judea and Samaria and Gaza.

"These days the Palestinian Authority is working with the prosecutor at the Criminal Court in The Hague to issue arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials, a dangerous and precedent-setting step that would constitute crossing a red line. The Palestinian Authority derives encouragement and legitimacy for its actions from the Biden administration's turning its back on Israel in legal contexts through the imposition of sanctions on the settlers and apparently Also about the IDF as well as the harsh tones of the leaders of the European countries against Israel in the context of the war in Gaza."

"The Palestinian Authority is working, with Palestinian and international delegitimization organizations, to promote an arms embargo against Israel in order to stop the war in Gaza. The Palestinian Authority registered success at the UN Human Rights Council, which on April 5 passed a resolution calling for an arms embargo on Israel and its people legally operating in Germany , France and Scotland in order to damage the building of the IDF's power."

"The Palestinian Authority officials are encouraged by their successes and the tightening of pressure on Israel and are considering additional multilateral moves that would harm Israel, including promoting additional legal proceedings at the European Court of Justice, intensifying South Africa's proceedings against Israel, exerting pressure on European countries to impose an arms embargo on Israel, and much more ".

"At the same time, the Palestinian Authority works to promote unilateral recognition of it as a state, and after being blocked in the Security Council through the American veto, strives to pass such a decision in the General Assembly and works to form a majority of the countries that will support it."

"All of the above joins the great international pressure exerted on Israel to allow the entry of the Palestinian Authority into Gaza the day after Hamas, under the auspices of cosmetic "reforms" and to establish a state of terror in Judea and Samaria and Gaza, in such a way that the terrible massacre by Hamas of Israeli citizens will give the Arabs what they do not accepted so far and that October 7th will actually be the founding day of the Palestinian state. A step that cannot be interpreted otherwise than a tremendous reward for terrorism, the raising of the horn of Hamas, which will be positioned as the one who succeeded in bringing the Arabs a tremendous achievement that was not obtained in any other way, and in any case is a dangerous race to terrorism and an existential danger to the State of Israel."

"Within this dangerous political and legal corral into which they are trying to push the State of Israel, the PA is a very active and dominant player, as is evident from all the visible and intelligence materials. It is no longer possible to put this on the agenda and pass it off like last year. In the current state of affairs, I am convinced that the PA is a danger immediately to the State of Israel and we must bring about its termination."

"The above is in line with the fact that until today even senior PA officials have refrained from condemning the massacre by Hamas of Israeli citizens, and some of them have even backed it, to the consolation call that Abu Mazen made to a senior Hamas official urging the elimination of his terrorist sons, and more. I believe, as I told you at our meeting on the eve of the holiday, that you must openly and unequivocally announce that to the extent these unilateral moves are advanced, Israel will sever all ties with the Palestinian Authority and bring about its immediate downfall and apply its sovereignty immediately and unilaterally over all the territories of Judea and Samaria. Steps Unilaterals will respond with unilateral measures."

"Unfortunately you haven't so far. I would like to inform you that as soon as an arrest warrant of any kind is issued by the prosecutor of the Hague Tribunal against an Israeli citizen or soldier as part of the case that the PA is handling against Israel and/or as a unilateral decision is made in the General Assembly to recognize a Palestinian state, I will unilaterally and immediately stop the transfer of any The liquidation funds to the PA and orders the cancellation of the indemnification given to the cross-funding Israeli banks that transfer funds to banks in Judea and Samaria."

"I will ask you to inform all the international authorities about this and to instruct the coordinator of operations in Judea and Samaria to inform about this the Palestinian Authority officials with whom he is in contact. "I will not cherish the soldiers of the IDF and its commanders and I will not give my hand to the continued existence of a hostile authority that endangers them and the existence of Israel," the minister concluded.

We will recall that in January of this year, following the insistence of Minister Smotritz not to transfer to the PA the liquidation funds intended to be done, an arrangement was reached under which the money is transferred to a third country.

According to the outline approved at the time by the members of the political-security cabinet, in practice Norway and the USA support Israel's position that Gaza funds will not be transferred to the Palestinian Authority. Every month the Minister of Finance is expected to receive a report that the money did not come out of the trust account, as well as the report that no money went out in return for it in a round transaction. If the arrangement is violated, the outline gives the Minister of Finance the authority to immediately freeze the entire amount that is transferred to the Palestinian Authority (not only to Gaza, but the total amount of the disposal funds). As far as Israel is concerned, the agreed upon outline also has consequences for the day after. De facto, the Palestinian bureaucracy in Gaza does not Seen as a solution, but as part of the problem.