PMW report on PA salaries to terrorists debated in Norway. Norway’s Foreign Ministry knows the PA still pays salaries, MPs object

NRK TV newsreader, 7 p.m. news: "The PA, which is receiving aid from Norway, is still paying salaries to imprisoned Palestinian terrorists."

NRK TV newsreader, 7 p.m. news: "Norway and other donor countries protested against this several years ago, but the practice continues, the money is just going to the prisoners by a circuitous route."

NRK TV reporter Tormod Strand: "Malki [Roth] only reached the age of 15 because a Palestinian suicide bomber blew himself up at this pizza shop in Jerusalem in 2001. 15 civilians were murdered. The person responsible for making the bomb, Abdallah Barghouti, is imprisoned in an Israeli jail. Palestine honors hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, among them many terrorists, with a monthly salary. Every month, Abdallah Barghouti receives about ten thousand Norwegian kroner from Palestine. The worse the terror, the higher salary the prisoners receive. NRK TV reported on [PMW's report] about this [PA] program in 2013, and that the money was being paid by the PA. Norway gives 200 million kroner to Palestine annually, and demanded along with other donor countries that the program be stopped. In 2014, Palestine’s President Mahmoud Abbas gave in to the pressure, and said that the program would be stopped. Now it was the PLO, the Palestine Liberation Organization, that would be paying money to prisoners, with the help of Arab donors. He [Itamar Marcus] heads Palestinian Media Watch, an Israeli organization on the right that monitors Palestinian media. Palestinian Media Watch claims in a report that the PLO is only a cover to appease Norway and other donor countries and that the PA continues to pay money to terrorists in prison."

PMW director Itamar Marcus: "We found - not only do we have the [PA] leadership statements that they were paying, but we actually found the money transfers from the PA to the PLO,
that would fit the exact amount they [the PLO] needed to pay the salaries to terrorists."

NRK TV reporter Tormod Strand: "Surprisingly, [the Norwegian] Foreign Ministry confirms PMW’s claim."

State Secretary Tore Hattrem (Conservative Party): "In 2014, we became aware that the PA was transferring money to the PLO, which then funded this support program for prisoners. For us, it was just as unacceptable as if the money had come directly from the PA."

NRK TV reporter Tormod Strand: "The Foreign Ministry will not do anything but protest. It is not relevant to cut Norwegian aid to Palestine. One of the government parties [the Progressive Party] disagrees."

Spokesperson on foreign aid, Jorund H. Rytman (Progress Party): "It's news to me that the Palestinians did it this way. And this must have consequences in terms of cutting the aid money so that [Norway] does not just protest, but shows it will act."

NRK TV newsreader, 7 p.m. news: "NRK TV has given the Palestinian embassy in Norway access to the [PMW] report and asked for a comment. The [PA] ambassador replied that he did not want to comment now."

NRK TV newsreader, 11 p.m. news: "The Christian Democratic Party (KrF) is very surprised that the [Norwegian] Foreign Ministry has known that the PA has continued the program in which prisoners convicted of terror offenses receive salaries from Palestine. Norwegian aid to the Palestinians must be reconsidered if this is not stopped, says the Christian Democratic Party..."

NRK TV reporter Tormod Strand: "NRK TV reported on [PMW's report] about this [PA] program in 2013, and that the money was being paid by the PA. Then, Norway demanded that the program be stopped... But this evening, the [Norwegian] Foreign Ministry confirms that it is still the PA that continue to make the payments..."

Hans Olav Syversen, acting Parliamentary leader, Christian Democrats: "It is very surprising information for me that the Norwegian Foreign Ministry has been completely aware of this and even has let this practice continue..."

NRK TV reporter Tormod Strand: "The Progress Party wants to stop [Norwegian] aid [to the PA], the Christian Democrats agree in that direction."

Hans Olav Syversen, acting Parliamentary leader, Christian Democrats: "If this is true, I believe there must be consequences. It would be subversive for us if money that is given to build up Palestinian society, in reality is used to pay salaries to prisoners who have carried out very extreme acts in many cases."

State Secretary Tore Hattrem (Conservative Party): "Norwegian aid funds have not gone to this [salary] program. We have received written assurances of that from the PA."
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Abdallah Barghouti - serving 67 life sentences for preparing explosives for terror attacks in which 67 people were murdered: Sbarro restaurant (15 killed, Aug. 9, 2001, Jerusalem), Sheffield Club (15 killed, May 7, 2002, Rishon LeZion), Moment Café (11 killed, March 9, 2002, Jerusalem), triple attack at Ben Yehuda pedestrian mall (11 killed, Dec. 1, 2001, Jerusalem), Hebrew University (9 killed, July 31, 2002, Jerusalem), and Bus 4 in Tel Aviv (6 killed, Sept. 19, 2002).

Having been imprisoned for 13 years (2003-2016), Barghouti should be receiving 6,000 shekels/month (1,600 USD) according to PA law.