Following criticism, Norway's ambassador returns back prize to the Israelis

Mouna Joul, Norway's ambassador to Israel on Friday notified her country's foreign ministry she will return back the "money" prize estimated at USD 50,000, she had received from an Israeli center after she received official blame and strong criticism for not informing authorities concerned in her country about that.

The spokesman for the Norway's foreign ministry Karestin Klisfik said that the decision taken by Joul to return back the money was good but her husband Terry Rod Larsen -- who is working now as a special UN envoy for peace and who had received a similar monetary prize of the same value from the Shimon Peres center in 1999 -- should also return back the money. The spokesman said, this will be then a satisfactory solution for all.