Denmark will be one of the states that is prepared to recognise Palestinian statehood if the opposition Social Democrats, Socialist People’s Party and Social Liberals wins this year’s election, according to Berlingske.
“For years we have felt that the Palestinians have the right to a state, and given that they are asking the international community to recognise it, we will do so,” says Social Democratic Foreign Policy Spokesman Jeppe Kofod.
The Socialist People’s Party Foreign Policy Spokesman Holger Nielsen and Social Liberal Leader Margrethe Vestager also support the policy.
The issue of recognition of a Palestinian state has become an international hot potato following statements by the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that he will be asking the international community to recognise Palestine at its General Assembly in September.
Israel has warned against recognition, a warning the United States and several EU countries are expected to heed.
Foreign Minister Lene Espersen (Cons) is also against the idea.
“It is important that recognition also leads to real political progress and doesn’t do more harm than good. We are not there yet. I do not want Denmark to go it alone in such an important issue. We have to coordinate with the European Union,” Espersen tells Berlingske.
Liberal Foreign Policy Spokesman Michael Astrup Jensen says the opposition is ‘playing with fire’ and the Danish People’s Party says the opposition is ‘pouring petrol on the Middle East flames’.
Edited by Julian Isherwood
