Palestine Turns Down Tax Transfer from Israel Due to Deductions

World | April 6, 2015, Monday // 13:52|  views

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Photo: EPA

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas turned down on Sunday the tax revenues from Israel due to deductions.

Abbas returned the revenues as Israel had deducted one third to cover unpaid Palestinian utility debts, The Jerusalem Post reports.

In case Israel does not restore the full amount, the leader of Palestine threatened to file a lawsuit at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Recently, Israel decided to unfreeze the transfer of taxes, which it had suspended in January as retaliatory measure on Palestine's decision to join ICC and other international treaties.

The membership of Palestine to the ICC began on April 1, giving it the right to file lawsuits against Israel for alleged war crimes.

At the time Israel announced that it would unfreeze the payments, it warned that deductions will be made.

It had deducted the cost of unpaid services provided to Palestine, including electricity, water and hospital bills.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu justified the restoration of payments due to humanitarian concerns, the deteriorating situation in the Middle East and the rise of extremism.

An official from Netanyahu's office assured that Israel has readiness to return back the payments, which Palestine had turned down.

The decision to freeze the transfer of revenues, which provides two thirds of Palestine's income, forced it to lower the salaries of civil servants with 40 % and adopt an emergency budget.

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Tags: Palestine, Israel, Middle East, tax, transfer, revenue, Mahmoud Abbas, ICC, Benjamin Netanyahu, war crimes

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