In Denmark, we like to consider ourselves as being within the vanguard of freedom of expression. We have been the primary nation on this planet to legalise pornography. We insisted on the proper to publish caricatures of the prophet Muhammad. Reasonably than marginalise so-called rightwing populists in parliament, we invited them in to political cooperation. We pleasure ourselves on being unafraid of controversy and we’re good at making authorities who attempt to inform us what to do – and particularly what to not do – look ridiculous.
Danes additionally like to consider our nation as a task mannequin for democracy. As such, the nationwide elections for kids aged 13 to 16 are a cherished custom, thought of part of civic schooling and a preparation for democratic participation. All colleges are invited to participate within the train, which is held each different 12 months. College students debate 20 points for 3 weeks earlier than casting votes for the events which can be additionally eligible to face in actual normal elections.
Over the previous few weeks, nonetheless, the nationwide college elections have been dragged into controversy after the choice to ban one theme from the checklist of points for the 2026 vote: the query of Palestine.
Ought to Denmark recognise Palestine as a sovereign state? This particular query is arguably a defining subject of our time and one which mobilises political engagement amongst younger voters. Excluding it’s a outstanding act, which has been attacked from the left and proper of the political spectrum. That is the alternative of correctly getting ready younger individuals for Danish democracy, critics say, and goes towards what we as a nation stand for.
The choice was introduced by the audio system of parliament and justified by the 2 events which have led Danish governments for the previous 30 years: the Social Democrats and the Liberal occasion. The problem was just too explosive for classroom deliberations, they argued, and risked putting children from minority teams in very uncomfortable conditions. Furthermore, it risked giving pupils a foul expertise of democracy; this subject was too complicated for them to have the ability to relate to meaningfully.
What’s revealing right here is that the identical events would usually help an understanding of democracy that places the liberty of controversial deliberation and offensive alternate above the safety of minority sensitivity and public order. Culturally, that is the Danish mannequin of democracy: we’re tolerant in the direction of verbal intolerance on the subject of political discourse about Islam and immigration; we’re sceptical of liberal superegos who wish to defend minority emotions and public order.
However on the subject of Israel and Palestine, the governing events promote an understanding of democracy that units private sensitivities and public order above free speech and the proper to offend. This actually is outstanding. Relating to substantial complexity, it appears past dispute that the mechanisms driving the local weather disaster, as an example, are more durable to know than whether or not Palestinian statehood needs to be recognised.
The actual rationalization appears apparent. It’s not the schoolkids who can’t deal with the Palestine query – it’s the governing events which can be projecting their very own failures on to Danish pupils and wish to keep away from it and all the opposite questions that addressing it might inevitably provoke: the warfare in Gaza, Danish arms exports, the stress between Denmark’s alliances with the US and Israel and our obligations in the direction of liberal establishments and the human rights of Palestinians.
They appear to get pleasure from speaking in regards to the warfare in Ukraine, as a result of little Denmark helps the nation invaded by its larger and extra highly effective neighbour. We unequivocally help the liberal order and worldwide regulation towards the aggressor. Morally, our engagement in Ukraine reveals Denmark because the nation we wish to be. However our complicity within the warfare crimes being perpetrated in Gaza reveals us because the nation we’ve change into however can’t defend.
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The Palestinian query due to this fact exposes a scandalous flaw in our present order. If the Russian military have been doing to Ukrainians what the Israeli military is doing to the Palestinians of Gaza or within the West Financial institution, our prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, can be publicly outraged. However she gives the look of talking of the struggling of Palestinians solely when compelled to by circumstances, the agenda or direct questions on it.
Frederiksen has repeatedly referred to as the state of affairs in Gaza “tragic” and a “humanitarian catastrophe”. Nevertheless, she speaks of the struggling of the Palestinians as if we have been harmless bystanders. But the Danish authorities has important levers it may pull to carry the extremist authorities in Israel to account. It has simply typically chosen to not.
Regardless of its pleasure in its democratic credentials, Denmark has not initiated a renegotiation of the formal settlement that makes the EU Israel’s greatest buying and selling accomplice. The Danish authorities final month supported a evaluate of EU-Israel ties, but it surely has not advised sanctions towards particular Israeli politicians or Israel as a state and it has not recognised Palestinian statehood, as Spain, Eire and Slovenia have already completed.
As a substitute, our authorities continues to permit Danish weapons producers to provide Israel, both not directly by way of the US or instantly, with spare components for the F-35 bombers that the Israel Protection Forces deploy in Gaza. This regardless of our leaders understanding it violates EU guidelines, which mandate an obligation to disclaim the export of navy gear if there’s a “clear threat” that it’d be used to commit warfare crimes.
A residents’ petition demanding that Denmark finish all direct and oblique weapons exports to Israel has gathered greater than 50,000 signatures. Final week it was delivered to the ground of parliament. However the debate made it clear but once more {that a} broad consensus places the safety alliance with the US above human rights in Gaza.
We’re helping warfare crimes in Israel whereas mobilising towards them in Ukraine. Our authorities appears tacitly to simply accept Palestinians’ struggling as collateral injury of a overseas coverage that’s in ruins anyway as a result of it’s primarily based on an alliance that the US is disengaging from. Denmark is principally sending arms to a bully after which mourning the results of them getting used.
It’s, on this context, revealing that our leaders don’t need our schoolchildren to debate the popularity of the Palestinian state as a part of their schooling – as a result of they’ll’t deal with it themselves. Our elected representatives don’t need our democracy to reveal their failure within the ethical scandal of the west within the twenty first century.
For schoolgoers this controversy is a helpful, if unintended, introduction to democracy. They’ve realized how these in energy will at all times attempt to outline the agenda and limits of democratic participation. It additionally reveals that what younger individuals discuss issues. It may be a means of mobilising the most effective in our democracy towards the worst and of constructing their energy as future voters. And hopefully, the lacking query would be the most debated in Denmark’s colleges within the coming 12 months.
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