Israel Matzav

Sick: Israeli government paying 'acclimation stipends' to released terrorists

I consider myself a pretty knowledgeable consumer of Israeli news, but it never would have occurred to me that this is going on, and I doubt it would have occurred to most of you either.

Israel's National Insurance Institute (Bituach Leumi), which takes about 15% of every Israeli's monthly income up to an amount that most of us never reach (if you're an employee, you only see half of what they take on your pay stub), has been paying 'acclimation stipends' to released terrorists. That's right, in addition to the 'salary' they draw from the 'Palestinian Authority,' which we finance along with the international community, the Israeli taxpayer via the NII is giving each released terrorist an 'acclimation stipend.'

Now, MK Yariv Levin (Likud) has introduced a bill to stop the stipend... but only for terrorists who are released 'early.' They would continue to get the stipend - and other NII benefits - once their original prison terms would have expired.

Terrorists prisoners released before the end of their jail terms in diplomatic deals and exchanges like the Schalit deal will not receive “acclimation stipends” from the National Insurance Institute (NII), and their eligibility for other NII payments will be limited, according to a bill proposed by MK Yariv Levin (Likud-Beytenu).

Levin told Arutz Sheva that the proposed law will make released terrorists ineligible for any NII payments for the duration of the term that they were sentenced to, so that terrorists who had received life sentences would never be eligible for payments. The freed terrorists would only begin receiving NII rights when their original jail term is over, so that a terrorist released at age 40 with ten years remaining to serve would only become eligible for benefits at age 50, for instance.

Levin noted that five of the terrorist murderers released from jail in the last installment of the Israeli “gestures” toward the Palestinian Authority are Israeli citizens. This makes them eligible for an “acclimation stipend” upon their release from jail, and they may also request an additional sum of money if they fail to find employment within 2 months of their release.

This money, at least, would be denied the terrorists who are Israeli citizens and who are released in exchanges and “gestures,” explained Levin.

So why not do the sensible thing and just deny them NII money altogether? You'll love this.

Levin explained that if it were up to him, he would pass a law simply denying terrorists all NII payments and stipends, forever. However, he explained to Arutz Sheva, the current coalition can be expected to shoot down any such legislation, especially with dovish Minister Tzipi Livni heading the key Ministerial Committee for Legislation, which decides the fate of bills.

Levin isn't just whistling Dixie. In the previous Knesset a bill  to do the same thing was watered down to cut the stipends by around 50% due to Leftist opposition.

Yes, fellow Israelis, this is how our government is spending our tax money. It's simply outrageous.

Labels: Israel's suicidal Left, Israeli Arabs are a fifth column, Israeli taxes, Palestinian terrorists

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:03 AM