Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said on Sunday that Benjamin Netanyahu has become a "problem," and that she does not rule out sanctions on the Israeli Prime Minister, or even on Israel as a state.
Speaking with Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten, Frederiksen stated that "Netanyahu himself is a problem now," and that Israel would be better off with a new leader. She said that Netanyahu's government "goes too far," both in its war on Gaza and its ongoing colonization of the occupied West Bank. "It is settler violence, the additional settlements in the West Bank backed by Netanyahu, and the government's opposition to a two-state solution, which blocks peace."
Earlier this week, a minister in Netanyahu's cabinet, Bezalel Smotrich, announced Israel would build over 3,000 new housing units for Israeli Jews in the illegal settlement of Ma'ale Adumim in the so-called E1 zone of the West Bank.
If constructed, the new project would divide the occupied West Bank and eliminate the chance to create a contiguous Palestinian state.
While criticizing Netanyahu and his government, the Danish Prime Minister nevertheless expressed her strong support for Israel. "We have a huge political problem with a very, very right-wing government in Israel, which, in my opinion, is currently working against Israel's interests as well," she said.
"I can say that because we, from the Danish side, have always been very active in supporting the state of Israel since the Second World War."
Frederiksen suggested Denmark could use its current position in the EU to impose sanctions on Netanyahu, Israeli ministers, or the Israeli state. Denmark currently holds the EU Council Presidency, which is the co-legislator of the EU alongside the European Parliament.
"It is about political pressure, about sanctions. It can be against settlers or ministers, and it can also be against Israel as a whole," she said.
"We do not rule anything out in advance. Like with Russia, we structure sanctions to target where they will be most effective. We are one of the countries that will apply additional pressure on Israel, but we have not yet gained support from the EU member states."
Despite her criticisms of Netanyahu, Frederiksen declined to commit to arresting him should he travel to Denmark.
"I have no expectation that Netanyahu will come to Denmark. But I expect Danish authorities to handle it if it happens. I have nothing further to add."
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for the Israeli Prime Minister on accusations of using starvation as a weapon of war against the over 2 million Palestinians in Gaza. ICC member states are legally obliged to enforce ICC warrants.
Amid growing starvation in Gaza, Frederiksen wrote on Facebook that "the greatest need is to get humanitarian aid to the civilians in Gaza."
"Blocking humanitarian aid is completely unacceptable," she added. Frederiksen refused to recognize Palestine as a state, however, claiming it would be a reward for Hamas for its attack on Israeli settlements and military bases on 7 October 2023.
"We must also be sure that there is mutual recognition from a Palestinian state by Israel," she added. "I do not want to do anything that could seem like a reward for Hamas."
Some 1,200 Israelis were killed and 253 taken captive during the Hamas operation, which it said was launched to break the siege on Gaza, known as Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.
Many, if not most, of the Israelis killed during the attack were allegedly killed by Israeli forces, including by fire from attack helicopters, drones, and tanks, per a policy known as the Hannibal Directive.
Israel's war on Gaza may have killed over 100,000 Palestinians - according to some estimates - displaced virtually the entire population of 2 million, and flattened most of the strip. Israel is now seeking to ethnically cleanse Gaza to pave the way for building Jewish settlements on the enclave's ruins.
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