Enhedslisten’s (The Red-Green Alliance) ongoing contact between Christian Juhl and members of the Palestinian terrorist organization PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) has sparked controversy. Although Juhl is no longer a member of the Danish parliament (Folketinget), he continues to play a central role in the party’s Palestine policy—a decision that has not faced opposition from the party leadership.
Juhl stepped down from the Folketinget in 2022, but his activities within the party are far from over. He currently leads Enhedslisten’s Palestine Committee and regularly writes opinion pieces for media outlets such as Arbejderen (The Worker). Additionally, he gives talks at various local party branches and participates in Palestinian demonstrations. Juhl actively contributes to shaping and discussing the party’s stance on Palestinian issues.
Earlier this year, Juhl helped organize a conference at Christiansborg (the Danish Parliament), where the topic of whether Hamas can be classified as a terrorist organization was discussed. Requests from B.T. (a Danish tabloid) for comments from Enhedslisten’s political leader Pelle Dragsted were answered by Rasmus Holme from the party’s executive committee, who confirmed that Juhl can still serve as the leader of the Palestine Committee. Holme further assured that Juhl has no intentions of contacting PFLP members in the future.
Descriptions of Juhl’s meetings with PFLP members date back to the years 2012, 2018, and 2020, including some that took place at Christiansborg. Among the individuals Juhl met were Khaled Barakat and Abla Sa’adat, whose spouse is the imprisoned general secretary of PFLP. Juhl originally stated that the meetings focused on human rights for Palestinian prisoners. However, after nine days of reflection, Juhl claimed that he was unaware that the individuals he met were PFLP members.
PFLP has been classified as a terrorist organization by the United States since 1997 and by the European Union since 2012. The group is known for numerous serious terrorist attacks, including hijackings, suicide bombings, and the assassination of Israel’s tourism minister Rehavam Ze’evi. PFLP was also involved in the violent attack against Israel on October 7 of last year.