Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas visiting the West Bank city of Jenin. Photo: Reuters/Mohamad Torokman

The Palestinian Authority (PA) has once again demonstrated that paying salaries to terrorists is a higher priority than paying Palestinians who work for a living.

Ahead of upcoming local elections, the PA Central Elections Commission has ruled that PA employees must resign from their jobs, and therefore relinquish their salaries, if they wish to run for office. Terrorists receiving payments from the PA, however, may keep their terror-reward payments while running for election.

PA Central Elections Commission spokesman Fareed Taamallah explained that the requirement applies only to those currently working as PA employees:

A [PA] employee who holds a position, receives his salary from the state, and is currently engaged in his work is required to resign from his position [to run in the elections] and attach proof of resignation to the candidacy application.

He clarified that this does not apply to individuals who receive allowances from the state but are not currently employed as [PA] employees, such as retirees, prisoners, the wounded [i.e., 2 categories of terrorists], or recipients of social benefits.

[Ma’an, independent Palestinian news agency, Sept. 7, 2026]

The distinction is revealing.

An ordinary PA employee must surrender his salary to become a candidate. A terrorist imprisoned for attacking Israelis, or a terrorist wounded while carrying out an attack, may continue receiving PA payments and still run for office.

Taamallah’s statement also provides yet another admission that the PA continues its notorious Pay-for-Slay program.

Despite PA leader Mahmoud Abbas’ claims of reform, Palestinian terrorists in prison are still receiving payments from the PA precisely because they are prisoners.

Once again, the PA has confirmed two facts: Pay-for-Slay continues, and the PA grants terrorists privileges that it denies to ordinary employees.

Palestinians who earn their salaries through public service must give them up to seek elected office; terrorists rewarded for murdering or attempting to murder Israelis do not.

The author is the Founder and Director of Palestinian Media Watch, where a version of this article first appeared.