Norway's Foreign Ministry admits it had false information about the PA's use of aid to fund terrorist prisoners
NRK TV newsreader: "The [Norwegian] Foreign Ministry now admits that [Norwegian] Parliament received imprecise information [from the Foreign Ministry] regarding financial support to Palestinian prisoners. Today the Parliamentary Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs demanded a better and more thorough answer from the Foreign Ministry."
NRK TV narrator: "Two weeks ago, [NRK TV] Evening News told [the story] of Ibrahim Hamed. He is one of the approx. 4600 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, who, according to the Israeli organization Palestinian Media Watch, receive salaries from the PA while they are in prison. Ibrahim Hamed was behind a bomb that killed nine civilians in Jerusalem in 2002. Norway is one of the major financial contributors to Palestine and since 2008 has given over 300 million [Norwegian] kroner in budget support annually. The Norwegian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly denied that salaries are given to terrorists, but following [NRK TV's] Evening News' reports the Parliamentary Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs has brought up the matter with the Foreign Ministry. Now, the letter (with the Foreign Ministry's response) has arrived. The Foreign Ministry admits that: 'It is unfortunate that the information that was first communicated to [Norwegian] Parliament, and which was based on information obtained from the PA at the time, in retrospect, is imprecise.'"
Today the Parliamentary Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs is demanding a better answer from the Foreign Ministry.
[Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs] Per-Kristian Foss: "It is striking that it takes an NRK [TV]-investigation and questions from Parliament before they (the Foreign Ministry) discover that the money has been used in a different way than what [the PA] has been reporting. Apparently, the Foreign Ministry is on thin ice. Therefore [the ministry] is asking for time to investigate further. But in the meantime we will request answers to the question: When did you (the Foreign Ministry) discover this so-called new information? Isn't this really information that has been available for a long time?"
NRK TV narrator: "The Foreign Ministry says in a statement that they are now waiting for a formal response from [the] Parliament [Committee]."
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NRK TV narrator: "Two weeks ago, [NRK TV] Evening News told [the story] of Ibrahim Hamed. He is one of the approx. 4600 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, who, according to the Israeli organization Palestinian Media Watch, receive salaries from the PA while they are in prison. Ibrahim Hamed was behind a bomb that killed nine civilians in Jerusalem in 2002. Norway is one of the major financial contributors to Palestine and since 2008 has given over 300 million [Norwegian] kroner in budget support annually. The Norwegian Foreign Ministry has repeatedly denied that salaries are given to terrorists, but following [NRK TV's] Evening News' reports the Parliamentary Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs has brought up the matter with the Foreign Ministry. Now, the letter (with the Foreign Ministry's response) has arrived. The Foreign Ministry admits that: 'It is unfortunate that the information that was first communicated to [Norwegian] Parliament, and which was based on information obtained from the PA at the time, in retrospect, is imprecise.'"
Today the Parliamentary Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs is demanding a better answer from the Foreign Ministry.
[Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs] Per-Kristian Foss: "It is striking that it takes an NRK [TV]-investigation and questions from Parliament before they (the Foreign Ministry) discover that the money has been used in a different way than what [the PA] has been reporting. Apparently, the Foreign Ministry is on thin ice. Therefore [the ministry] is asking for time to investigate further. But in the meantime we will request answers to the question: When did you (the Foreign Ministry) discover this so-called new information? Isn't this really information that has been available for a long time?"
NRK TV narrator: "The Foreign Ministry says in a statement that they are now waiting for a formal response from [the] Parliament [Committee]."
Click to view video
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