The Danish government’s stance on the atrocities committed by the Israeli government in Gaza continues to baffle not only the Danish public but also its international allies. While Denmark positions itself as one of Ukraine’s most steadfast supporters in the war against Russia — and as a vocal advocate for international law and human rights — it has ironically maintained unwavering support for Israel amid the ongoing massacre of civilians in Gaza. Denmark has endorsed seventeen sanctions packages against Russia, yet has demonstrated no willingness to impose even symbolic sanctions on Israel, despite many of its allies having done so. Why?

After October 7, 2023, Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen visited the Israeli embassy in Copenhagen, where she laid flowers in solidarity with the victims of the terror attack. When subsequently asked by a Danish journalist whether she would offer a similar gesture for the civilian victims in Gaza, she appeared visibly offended, replying: “I must admit that I think you are contributing to relativizing something that is not comparable.” She further chastised the journalist: “The fact that a Danish journalist asks such a question is deeply worrying to me and completely unhistorical.” At that time, Israel had already killed 260 Palestinian children. That number has since escalated to approximately 17,500, and according to UNICEF more than 50,000 children have been killed or injured in Gaza since October 2023.

As in many Western nations, in Denmark there has been a systematic, at times cynical, dehumanization of the Palestinian people and their suffering. While some might have understood this emotional reaction in the immediate aftermath of October 7, it has become increasingly indefensible nineteen months later faced with the daily reports emerging from Gaza. Furthermore, as in other countries, a growing divergence is evident between the official governmental position and the views held by the broader Danish public.