Response to open letter (dated March 2016) from Palestinian Media Watch
(PMW) to the Danish Foreign Minister.
“The cooperation within the EU is a cornerstone of the Danish engagement in
Palestine and in the Middle East Peace Process; both within the political and
developmental spheres. In this context, Denmark operates within the general
framework set out by international law and EU policies.
Denmark remains deeply concerned that the continuing cycle of violence has led
to a serious loss of human life in Israel and the Palestinian territory in recent
months. Denmark firmly condemns the terror attacks and violence from all sides
and in any circumstances. We call on political leaders to work together through
visible actions to contribute to calm and address the underlying causes of the
tensions.
In particular, we urge all parties to refrain from any action that would worsen the
situation by way of incitement or provocation and call on the parties to condemn
attacks when they occur and adhere strictly to the principles of necessity and
proportionality in the use of force. We call on both sides to jointly and resolutely
fight incitement and hate speech.
Denmark is strongly encouraged by the fact that the Israeli government and the
Palestinian government are upholding security coordination in the light of an
extremely challenging situation. It is a key factor in addressing the risk of further
and more violent developments.
We are convinced that only the reestablishment of a political horizon and the
resumption of dialogue can stop the violence. Security measures alone cannot
stop the cycle of violence. The underlying causes of the conflict need to be
addressed.
Also, we urge all Palestinian factions to engage in good faith in the reconciliation
process which is an important element for reaching the two state solution. The
positive results of the past must not be lost and Palestinian institutions must
continue to grow stronger, more transparent, more accountable and more
democratic. In this regard we call upon the Palestinian government to work
towards genuine and democratic elections for all Palestinians.
Specifically with regard to Denmark’s engagement with Palestine following the
Oslo accords in 1993 and 1995, I would like point to the following aspects:
The Danish development engagement, together with that of other likeminded
donors, has from the outset consistently focused on support for state-building,
including at the local level, and on promoting human rights. In addition, the
international community continues to provide long term humanitarian assistance
to the Palestinian refugees - which constitute a bigger group than the Palestinian
non-refugee population - especially through UNRWA.