In this weekend, the political party Enhedslisten will hold its annual general meeting, where a controversial proposal from the party’s grassroots will be discussed. The proposal concerns the resumption of publicly funded collaboration with the Palestinian organization DFLP, a collaboration that was suspended after the organization’s involvement in a terrorist attack against Israel on October 7th last year. Pelle Dragsted, the political spokesman for Enhedslisten, has chosen not to comment on the proposal despite several inquiries. This has created some tension leading up to the meeting, where members and leadership will decide whether the collaboration should be resumed.
The proposal has been put forward by 22 party members, including four members of the main board. One of the most prominent proponents, Jan Kjærgaard Hansen, has stated that the previous accusations against DFLP were unsubstantiated and calls for an open dialogue regarding collaboration with both DFLP and Hamas. Trine Pertou Mach, the group leader and foreign policy spokesperson for Enhedslisten, on the other hand, has expressed sharp criticism of the proposal, describing it as “completely far-fetched.” This highlights the internal disagreements within the party regarding collaboration with organizations that have been involved in militant activities.
From 2013 to 2021, Enhedslisten received taxpayer funds for collaboration with DFLP and two other Palestinian leftist parties, amounting to a total of 3.2 million Danish kroner. The resumption of this collaboration will undoubtedly spark debate both internally within the party and in the broader public. The annual general meeting will therefore be crucial for the party’s future policies and collaboration on the international stage, especially concerning the conflict in the Middle East.
The final decision and the subsequent reactions will reveal the direction the party will take in a time when international politics are more polarized than ever before.