Danish FM: Israel doesn’t have ‘veto’ over potential future recognition of Palestinian state by Denmark

Speaking at a press conference alongside Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen says that Copenhagen does not currently plan to join other Western capitals in recognizing a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly this month, but stresses that Israeli opposition to a two-state solution would not serve as a “veto” over Denmark’s support for an eventual Palestinian state.

Rasmussen, also a former prime minister of Denmark, expresses concern over “strong statements from Israeli ministers” that completely reject the possibility of Palestinian statehood, “ever.”

“Then it goes without saying that we have to take the decision right back to ourselves, so to speak,” he continues, adding, “That’s why we have made it clear that we will not give Israel or others a veto on the Danish position.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that we will never, in reality, recognize a Palestinian state which is ruled by Hamas or any other terrorist organization,” he emphasizes, saying the move “comes with a lot of preconditions – disarmed Palestinian state, recognizing Israel, transparency, democracy… That is our position.”

Following Rasmussen’s remarks, Sa’ar adds that states currently pushing for Palestinian statehood “ignore the most important fact… that the [Palestinian Authority], according to what they do, they don’t deserve a state.”

He backs this with accusations that the PA has failed to combat terrorism, address security concerns, or end incitement to terrorism in education facilities. He says he was briefed on Thursday about issues of incitement in PA-run schools, saying, “It’s terrible.”

Sa’ar points to the controversial “pay-for-slay” policy of the PA, which gave stipends to the families of slain terrorists and of security prisoners held in Israeli jails.

Though PA President Mahmoud Abbas signed a decree in February canceling legislation that established the old system, and reports have shown improvement, Sa’ar downplays these efforts at reform: “They say they will change it, but they never did. They only change how they are doing that, transferring it from one pocket to the other. But they never disconnected themselves… from the ethos of terror in the Palestinian society.”