PA CHAIRMAN ABBAS: "Free homes for terrorists"

Abbas to Build Home for Freed Terrorists

PA Chairman Abbas announces that he plans to build homes for terrorists released by Israel in the Shalit deal.

By Elad Benari

First Publish: 11/6/2011, 4:12 AM

ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS

PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas

Israel news photo: Flash 90

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has announced his decision to build new homes specifically meant for the terrorists who were released in the Shalit prisoner exchange deal.

Israel has already freed 477 terrorists in the first part of the deal, and an additional 550 are to be released in the second phase.

According to Saturday’s announcement, the construction of the homes will be financed by the Palestine Investment Fund.

“The issue of the prisoners is a top priority for the Palestinian leadership,” Abbas was quoted as saying at a recent meeting with some of the terrorists who were freed. He welcomed the terrorists and reiterated his previous demands that Israel release 1,000 additional prisoners.

Abbas recently claimed that former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert promised him that if Israel were to free Hamas terrorists in exchange for Shalit, it would also free Fatah terrorists, in order to avoid hurting Abbas’ political standing.

Abbas made the claims in a recent interview with TIME Magazine, in which he said the deal was kept secret so that it would not affect negotiations for Shalit’s freedom.

His move to build homes for the murderers comes after the Hamas government in Gaza recently decided to reward each terrorist that was freed to Gaza in the Shalitdeal with a sum of $2,000.