Because of Gaza: Denmark opposes the purchase of defense systems from Israel

Is the procurement of weapons systems from Israel morally legitimate at the current point in time, against the background of the war in Gaza? This is the question that has divided the political system and public opinion in Denmark in recent weeks, in what may be a worrying signal for the Israeli defense industries. While many countries in Europe imposed a temporary embargo on the sale of weapons to Israel due to the war, the fact that the Danish coalition is debating about the purchase, despite proven successes in the field in recent months, signifies a new development.

At the heart of the Danish discussion is the security need to acquire air defense systems, which has now come up as part of the annual discussions on the defense budget. Like other European countries, Denmark embarked on a massive procurement and armament spree in the past two years, following the Russian threat and the war in Ukraine. The defense budget of the Scandinavian country jumped by 108% in the last budget year, compared to the situation a decade ago. As part of this procurement campaign, Denmark has decided to allocate between 19 and 25 billion kroner (2.7-3.6 billion dollars) in the coming years to the field of air defense.

However, when the issue came up for discussion in the government in recent weeks, the two parties in the coalition announced their total opposition to the purchase of air defense systems from Israel at the current point in time. The reasons, as understood and presented by the Danish media, stemmed mainly from the war in Gaza and the current situation in the Strip. This, despite the fact that Finland already announced months ago the purchase of the “David Slingshot” system from Israel, and Germany announced the purchase of the “Hats 3” system. The Finnish procurement was announced at the end of a tender in which European and American companies also competed.

“operational considerations”

“We cannot live with this, and Denmark will not buy an air defense system from Israel, period,” said the foreign and security spokeswoman for the Socialist People’s Party (SF), a member of the government. She said that “it is forbidden for one carone to be allocated to the purchase of weapons from Israel”. Senior representatives from the Danish social-liberal party (RV), a partner in the coalition, also said that they are opposed to procurement from Israel. The opposition itself caused an uproar, and a series of heated discussions in the defense ministries and among the government companies. The result was a vague agreement in which procurement from Israel was not prohibited, but significant emphasis was placed on the fact that the decision on the matter would take into account “operational considerations regarding compatibility with other NATO members.”

The practical meaning of the wording, the spokesman for security affairs of the Danish social-liberal party told the Danish newspaper “Ylands Post”, is that “it will be almost impossible” to purchase an Israeli system, whether it is a “David’s Slingshot”, an “Iron Dome” or In the “Lightning 8” system. On the other hand, the Danish Minister of Defense himself, from the “Vanstra” party that is a partner in the coalition, told the media that “there is nothing preventing procurement from Israel” in this area.

In recent days, Inger Stoiberg, a leading politician from the opposition, joined the stormy public debate on the issue, who visited Israel and the aerospace industry and called on the Danish government to choose the Israeli system because of its performance, and the fact that the American alternative – especially the “Patriot” system – is more expensive and less efficient. “It seems that even after the agreement was signed and approved, there is still no agreement among the members of the coalition whether it is legitimate to purchase weapons from Israel or not,” wrote the Danish newspaper “Berlinska” on the weekend.

In this respect, the mere turning of the issue of military procurement from Israel into a public issue, and the political involvement colored according to the ideology of the parties, marks a new development for Israel in Europe. After Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands and other countries stopped arms exports to Israel, either voluntarily or by court order, the possibility that Israeli defense exports are facing moral questions may have an impact on future deals.

“The Elbit Affair”

The Danish decision takes place, among other things, against the background of the recent major defense deal signed between Denmark and Israel, worth about 250 million dollars, for the purchase of self-propelled cannons of the ATMOS model, as well as rocket launchers of the PULS type, manufactured by “Elbit”. The deal was promoted in the Danish government and parliament by the former Minister of Defense, Jacob Allman-Jensen. Accusations then surfaced that the minister had misled the House of Representatives, among other things when he said that the Israeli offer was valid until the end of January only, and that the price was expected to rise after that. He also claimed that the Israelis would be able to provide the systems before the competitors. The affair led to his transfer from the Ministry of Defense, and an internal investigation that is still ongoing. Denmark justified the need for war between Ukraine and Russia. The Danish media calls the incident the “Elbit affair”.

Experts interviewed by the Danish media said that while the American Patriot system is indeed in use among other NATO member states, Finland and Germany will switch to using Israeli or Israeli-American systems in the future, so that the criterion regarding compatibility cannot be used to disqualify them. Denmark also joined the initiative. Sky Shield” which is leading Germany and should in the future allow it access to the “Arrow 3” system purchased by the neighboring country.