In the upcoming defense agreement, expected to be finalized tonight, it will be ruled out for Denmark to purchase Israeli air defense systems. This is primarily due to political opposition from both the Socialist People’s Party (SF) and the Danish Social Liberal Party (De Radikale), which have strong reservations about buying military equipment from Israel. SF’s defense spokesperson, Anne Valentina Berthelsen, has clearly stated that the party will not support the purchase of Israeli air defense systems. “No, we cannot accept that. And Denmark will not be buying an air defense system from Israel,” she told B.T. Christian Friis Bach from De Radikale also emphasizes that the new agreement effectively prevents the purchase of Israeli systems. He highlights the importance of the new system being able to be integrated with Sweden’s and potentially donated to Ukraine, which is not possible with Israeli systems.
This decision comes in the wake of a broader discussion about Denmark’s defense budget, where the government has previously proposed a 40 billion kroner boost. Of these, 19 billion were intended for a new ground-based air defense system. With the exclusion of the Israeli system, “David’s Sling,” which is in use in Finland but cheaper than the American Patriot system, additional financial resources will likely need to be found for alternatives. The debate on defense procurement has been intense, and SF has previously expressed opposition to buying Israeli weapons due to the country’s policies towards Palestinians. This political stance now appears to have a direct impact on the choice of Denmark’s future air defense system.
The negotiations on the new defense agreement are ongoing, and it is expected that a final decision will be made later today in the Ministry of Defense. In addition to the air defense system, the agreement will also address a new model for conscription, which is another significant part of the defense agreement.