The Speaker of the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, has criticized the decision by his Danish counterpart to visit Ramallah and Gaza while skipping meetings in Israel.
According to media reports, Mogens Lykketoft asked two months ago to meet Yuli Edelstein but the Knesset Speaker replied he would not be able to meet him because of prior engagements. Lykketoft was reportedly given alternative dates in which he could meet with Edelstein but did not reply and proceeded to plan the visit without including any meetings in Israel.
"Apparently the Danish parliament speaker finds it more important to please his voter base in Denmark and identify with the Palestinians, while ignoring Israel," a Foreign Ministry official was quoted as saying.
Edelstein himself was cited as saying that he "does not understand how a visit to Hamas-ruled Gaza is in line with Denmark's democratic values."
In an interview last month, Lykketoft, who is a member of Denmark’s Social Democrats party, said Ariel Sharon, the former Israeli Prime Minister who had just died, was “a brutal military leader who was not interested in reaching an agreement
Israel will have the last word on Lykketoft’s controversial visit to the region since the Danish Speaker’s Gaza stayover requires Israel’s approval.
Channel 10 quoted Israeli officials that, “Due to his conduct, we have no intention of letting him enter Gaza.”