Some of the Palestinians who commit terrorist acts against Israeli civilians are motivated by economic reasons.
The Palestinian Authority pays terrorists serving time in Israeli prisons. The longer the sentence, the higher the pay. The PA doesn’t stop there, it also financially supports the families of terrorists killed while committing a terror attack.
This policy illustrates the way the PA encourages terrorist activity. Here are just a few examples:
(Source: ISA)
1. Hosni Najar (b. 1989) – Resident of Hebron, member of the military arm of Hamas; attempted to obtain munitions to be used in a terrorist attack (August 2013). Due to extreme financial duress, he decided to engage in activities that would result in imprisonment for at least five years, the minimum necessary to receive a monthly allowance of thousands of shekels.
2. Muhammad Alazraq (b. 1986) – Resident of Bethlehem, belongs to Fatah, involved in significant popular terrorist activity. He stated (March 14) that PA support of prisoners and their families, and the financial help they get after their release, motivate young Arabs to commit acts that will get them put into prison.
3. Montasar Sabih (b. 1990) – Resident of Nablus, member of Hamas. He stated (2016) that he planned to commit a terror attack in order to be sentenced to a long prison term (five years) and receive a regular "salary".
4. Luqman Abu Amsha (b. 1997) – Resident of Samaria. He stated (Feb. 2016), that a fellow member of the terror cell expressed his desire to sit in prison for a year-and-a-half, the period he needed to complete five years of imprisonment and thus be eligible to receive a steady monthly "salary" from the PA.
5. Ali Kamil (b. 1987) – Resident of Jenin, member of the Islamic Jihad. He stated that he wanted to go to prison for a year, which, together with previous incarcerations, would add up to the five years required to receive a steady monthly "salary" from the PA.
6. Muhammad Dhamiri (b. 1994) – Resident of Tulkarem, involved in popular terror activities. He stated (2015) his desire to be arrested. He revealed in his first police interrogation that he wanted to stab a Jewish settler. He said that he didn't have a job and life is hard, and, if he's arrested for a security offense, the PA will give him a monthly allowance.
7. Muhammad Joabra (b.1994) – Resident of Nablus area, involved in popular terror activities. He and a fellow member of the terror cell agreed that they would confess to the terrorist activities of which they stood accused in order to sit in prison for 6-7 years. Then they would receive a "salary" from the prisoners' association and from the PA.
8. Muhammad Saffi (b. 1996) – Resident of Jalazun. He said (July 2015) that other terrorists that he knows proposed that he join them to commit an attack. They told him that if they throw explosive devices, they will be arrested and will get salaries from the PA.