Denmark–Palestine relations


Denmark–Palestine relations refers to the contacts between Denmark and the Palestinian Liberation Organization. Denmark has a representative office in Ramallah. The State of Palestine has a semi diplomatic Mission with the rank of ambassador in Copenhagen. However, Denmark has not recognized Palestine existence and rights to sovereignty, therefore prohibiting actual relations and has somewhat antagonized the Palestinian Authority at times.

Recognition of the State of Palestine

On 29 November 1947, Denmark voted for the United Nations Partition Plan for Palestine, supporting the division of Palestine into two states.
In December 2010, the Palestinian National Authority asked Denmark to recognize the state with its 1967 borders. In January 2011, Denmark with Norway said that they will soon recognize the State of Palestine, and on 9 March, Mahmoud Abbas visited Denmark for the first time, to discuss bilateral relations between Denmark and Palestine. During the visit, Danish Foreign Minister Lene Espersen stated that Denmark was not considering recognizing the State of Palestine. On 29 May, the Social Democrats revealed that if they win the next parliamentary election, they will recognize the State of Palestine. In August, it was still unknown if Denmark would vote no or yes for an Independent Palestinian state in the United Nations.
On 15 September 2011, the Social Democrats won the 2011 Danish elections, and expressed support for the Palestinian membership in the UN, but waited for a joint decision in the European Union. On 22 September 2012, hundreds of Danes demonstrated in front of the Folketing. The Palestinian ambassador to Denmark said: "This recognition will enhance Danish-Arab relations and will reflect support of the Danish people for the Palestinian bid to UN". In October 2012, Denmark abstained from voting in the resolution for Palestine in the UNESCO.
The Danish Red-Green Alliance is a supporter of an independent Palestinian state, but no other party represented in the Folketing has Danish recognition of Palestine as its party line.

Danish development assistance

Denmark provides assistance to the occupied Palestinian Territories in the following three ways.
In the 1980s, During the Lebanese Civil War, 19,000 Palestinian refugees fled to Denmark. 1000 of them were from Lubya.