Norwegian minister admits Palestinian incitement fundingThe Norwegian Secretary of State has stated on national television that Norway helps fund Palestinian incitement
The Norwegian government appears to be one of the first European countries to be reconsidering its untargeted aid to the Palestinian territories on the basis of recent reports into incitement and anti-Semitism.
The issue, covered in depth by The Commentator, arises from the fact that Western governments give money often without conditions, to fund the budget of the Palestinian Authority. This has led to reported abuses of the cash, including the paying of terrorist salaries, rabid and frequent anti-Semitism and incitement in school textbooks, and the dedication of cultural events and organisations to known terrorists.
These examples have been shown in detail in the Palestinian Media Watch book, Deception. Speaking about the book on NRK TV, the government-owned news station, the Norwegian State Secretary Torgeir Larsen stated, "There are examples in the book (PMW's Deception) that clearly express hatred. There are also examples of Antisemitism, which you find in Palestinian society."
Though Larsen went on to state that the examples given may be 'part of an ongoing political battle', The Commentator has shown how even reports that try to conflate Israeli and Palestinian incitement fall short of drawing legitimate parallels between the two.
Currently, Norway gives around 300 million kroner a year ($52,628,700) to the Palestinian Authority, with a recent TV report stating: "[Palestinian] children grow up learning that Jews are 'Satan with a tail'... Adults hear that Jews are evil and not to be trusted. It is perhaps not surprising that the [Palestinian] hatred is growing. The messenger is a [PA] government that receives large amounts [of money] from Norway." |
