Denmark enlists military to protect Israeli, Jewish sites

Denmark ramped up protection of the country’s two synagogues, Jewish school, and Israeli embassy, bringing back the military to assist the police amid increased threats of terrorism and an “upsurge” of antisemitism.

"The situation in Israel and Gaza is a major drain on police resources,” Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said in a statement, announcing “Partly because of this, it has been decided that the Danish Armed Forces will support the guarding of Jewish and Israeli sites in Copenhagen.”

In a joint statement, Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said, "We are in a situation where the terrorist threat to Denmark is serious.”

“At the same time, we have recently experienced daily demonstrations in our streets. And the conflict in the Middle East has led to a completely unacceptable upsurge in anti-Semitism and uncertainty among Jews in Denmark,” Hummelgaard stated.

During this "uncertainty," Denmark's Jewish community had almost canceled the 85th anniversary of the Night of Broken Glass [Kristallnacht]. The event was allowed at the last minute with increased security, as well as being attended by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and other senior government members.

The changing of the guard was expected as soon as Wednesday, as police resources were stretched thin amidst daily demonstrations and efforts to normalize terrorism in what was described as a “complex threat picture.” 

“The Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) - as a result of the conflict in Israel and Gaza - has prepared a number of operational recommendations for the police, including increased attention to the security of Israeli, Jewish and Palestinian interests and activities,” the statement added.

The Danish Armed Forces had previously assisted the police with these guarding tasks, but the cooperation was put on hold in early 2022 due to the security situation in Europe. 

In a 2015 terrorist attack, a Palestinian-Jordanian extremist killed film director Finn Nørgaard at a cultural event; and Dan Uzan, a Jewish community member on security duty, at Copenhagen’s Great Synagogue. During the shooting attacks, five police officers were wounded.

With a total population of 6,400 Jews and approximately 1,800 members in the Jewish community, it already been a challenge to recover to pre-Covid participation in religious and community activities. Now, the situation became even more isolating with increased antisemitism and terrorism threats.

While the synagogue, Jewish school, and the embassy received extra protection, individual Jews were still afraid for their safety at workplaces and on the street. Even if a person never identified with the religion, not to mention Israel, merely being born to a Jewish mother or father was enough to instill what the Justice minister had described as “uncertainty.”