Danish foreign minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said during a Jerusalem press conference with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar on Sunday, "We are not ready to recognize a Palestinian state." However, he continued, "Israel does not have a veto over any Danish recognition of a Palestinian state."
This was said in response to Sa'ar's statement that the establishment of a Palestinian state would put Israel's security in jeopardy.
The Danish foreign minister went on to say, "Israel must stop military offensive in Gaza, Copenhagen is concerned about settlement expansionism in the West Bank."
He continued, "Israel should allow injured Gazans to be transported to East Jerusalem, the West Bank for medical treatment."
Sa'ar said that the war in Gaza could end if hostages were released and Hamas laid down its weapons.
His statements during a press conference with his Danish counterpart in Jerusalem come a day after Hamas reiterated its long-standing position that it would free all hostages if Israel agreed to an end to the war and withdraw its forces from Gaza City.
A two-state solution?
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen had said in mid-August that while her country condemned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, she did not support recognizing a Palestinian state at this time.
In a Facebook post, the Danish leader stated that “recognizing Palestine here and now will not help the thousands of children currently fighting for their survival, no matter how much one might wish it.”
However, at the end of the month, Denmark's foreign minister said at the end of the month that Israel is undermining a two-state solution to the Middle East crisis through its actions in Gaza.
"Israel is right now undermining the two-state solution," Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Copenhagen.