Palestinian govt rejects tax handover by Israel, in protest against West Bank annexation plan

The Palestinian government is rejecting taxes collected on their behalf by Israel, protesting against Israel’s plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank.

Ibrahim Melhem, spokesman for the Palestinian government, said in a statement on Wednesday that it rejected the May tax levies “in compliance with the leadership decision to stop all forms of coordination with Israel,” according to Reuters.

The taxes, managed by Israel under 1990s accords, make up over half of the budget of the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinians snubbed the handovers for several months last year. The move followed Israel’s decision to trim the cash in retaliation for Palestinians’ funding for the families of jailed or slain militants.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas earlier declared bilateral deals with Israel null. The Palestinians get around $190 million in monthly taxes, and their economy has already been hit hard by the coronavirus crisis.