MEMO | February 7, 2014
Israel is angered that the head of the Danish parliament, Mogens Lykketoft, has scheduled a visit this weekend to Ramallah and the Gaza Strip, an itinerary that does not include Israel.
Israel’s Channel 10 television reported on Thursday that Lykketoft had informed the Israeli foreign ministry two months ago of his planned visit and asked to meet with his Israeli counterpart, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein. Edelstein replied that he is busy and suggested an alternate date; however, Lykketoft decided to continue with his visit as scheduled and suggested meeting with a lower level Israeli official instead, a move that angered the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
Channel 10 noted that in response, Edelstein slammed Lykketoft for insisting on visiting Ramallah and the Gaza Strip and threatened to sever ties with him. Israeli officials also told the news channel that, “Due to his conduct, we have no intention of letting him enter Gaza.”
The Speaker of the Danish Parliament’s visit comes after Denmark’s largest bank announced that it would be divesting from Israel’s major banks over their involvement with the Israeli settlements.