Denmark Outlines Five Conditions for Palestinian State Recognition
Denmark has set forth five conditions that must be met before its government will recognize a Palestinian state, following a shift away from requiring Israeli approval for such recognition. Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen detailed these conditions during a press briefing.
According too Rasmussen, the conditions center on “getting the liberation of hostages, it is indeed about disarming Hamas, it is a matter of preventing Hamas from playing a future role in the Gaza government and, it is keeping the Palestinian authority on the way to reforms.”
The fifth, and crucial, condition is “certainty” that “a future Palestinian state will be demilitarized,” Rasmussen emphasized, ahead of his participation in the UN General Assembly in New York.
Rasmussen clarified that these conditions align with the expectations of other nations and reiterated that Copenhagen “wants to recognize” a Palestinian state, but ultimately, “it is up to the Palestinians” to fulfill the necessary requirements.
Previously, in August, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen stated her government favored recognizing a palestinian state, but deemed it impossible without securing mutual recognition from Israel, among other stipulations. However,Rasmussen indicated this month that,given current circumstances,Israel should not have a “right of veto” over such recognition.
The declaration comes as other nations move forward with recognizing Palestinian statehood. On Sunday, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada officially recognized the state of Palestine, and further announcements are anticipated, perhaps including France, during the two-state resolution conference at the UN headquarters in New York.
