Palestinian authorities provide money to Palestinians in Israeli prisons, a practice the Norwegian government is pushing to end.
According to Vårt Land newspaper, in parliament, Ingjerd Schou of Høyre (H) has called for clarification as to whether Norwegian aid funds to Palestine ends up as funding for imprisoned Palestinians or their families. Foreign Minister, Ine Eriksen Søreide (H), has given written answers to parliament.
“The Palestinian aid scheme for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons is not funded with Norwegian aid funds’’ she wrote.
Søreide stated that Norwegian aid funds do not end up with families who have family members in Israeli prisons and that Norway has received repeated assurances about this from the Palestinian Authority.
This had to be confirmed in a meeting between her and the Palestinian Finance Minister,Shukri Bishara, on August 5th.
“From the Norwegian side, we have also conveyed clearly to the Palestinian Authority that the scheme is unacceptable,” Søreide explained.
However, the Palestinian Authority refused to end the practice.
“We will not accept cuts in the wages of families of martyrs and inmates, as someone tries to make us do,” said Rami Hamdallah, the Palestinian Prime Minister last week, according to Jerusalem Post newspaper.
© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today
