Far-right Israeli finance minister set to cut funds to Palestinian Authority

The far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is demanding that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu take action against the Palestinian Authority (PA) following the steps taken on Wednesday by Norway, Ireland and Spain to recognise Palestine as a state.

Smotrich is calling for stopping the transfer of tax funds collected by Israel on behalf of the PA and told Netanyahu that he was halting the transfer of tax funds “until further notice”.

Additionally, Smotrich seemed to hint that he would cancel a recently agreed arrangement under which Israel transfers these Palestinian tax funds via Norway, which was set up after far-right coalition members opposed the direct transfer of the funds to the PA.

“Norway was the first to unilaterally recognise a Palestinian state today, and it cannot be a partner in anything related to Judea and Samaria,” he stated, using the Biblical term for the occupied West Bank.