Danish parliament rejects proposal to recognize Palestinian state

On Tuesday, May 28, Denmark's parliament rejected a proposal to recognize the Palestinian Authority as an independent state.

According to Reuters, the bill had been proposed by four left-wing parties back in February.

Sascha Faxe, a member of parliament from The Alternative party, stated during the debates that recognizing the Palestinian state is the only way to achieve lasting peace in the Middle East.

"The overwhelming majority of Danish politicians agree that there will be no lasting peace in the Middle East without implementing the two-state solution," she said.

Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen previously stated that the Danish government cannot recognize the independence of the Palestinian state as it lacks a unified governing body and control over its own territory. Rasmussen did not participate in the debates on May 28 but expressed hope that Denmark will one day be able to support a Palestinian state.