A far-left Danish political party has ignited outrage with a campaign urging voters to “free Copenhagen from Zionism.”he Independent Greens’ posters appeared across Denmark’s capital, calling for the destruction of the State of Israel and linking anti-Zionism with progressive causes.

The slogan — “Climate Action, Anti-Racism, Anti-Zionism, Solidarity” — anchors the party’s election message. Jewish leaders say it disguises antisemitism as activism and threatens Danish Jews’ sense of safety. In response, the Danish Zionist Association filed a police complaint, citing violations of Denmark’s penal code against racist incitement and threats.

Jewish Leaders: “A New Low” in Danish Politics

Max Meyer — chairman of the Danish Zionist Association — said the campaign had “made it unsafe for all Danish Jews” and “other Danes who support the State of Israel.”

Ina Rosen —  chairperson of the Jewish Community in Denmark — called the posters “a new low.”

“Zionism,” she explained, “is about Jews being a people like any other with the right to self-determination.” Most Danish Jews, she added, were Zionists who believed Israel had the right to exist in peace alongside its neighbors. Using the word “Zionism,” she said, was a deliberate attempt to fuel antisemitism.

Embassy of Israel: “Despicable Campaign Promotes Hate”

The Israeli Embassy condemned the Independent Greens’ campaign as “appalling.” It warned that such rhetoric spreads “hate and incitement at a time when Jewish communities are struggling with rising antisemitism and finding it increasingly difficult to lead a Jewish life.”

According to the embassy, the slogan violates the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism, which identifies denying Jewish self-determination as antisemitic. This campaign, officials said, directly attacks that principle.

Frederik Vad — the Social Democrats’ immigration and integration spokesman — said criticism of Israel was legitimate, but “not in the way that the Independent Greens do,” accusing them of “adopting Hamas’s terminology.”

Party Denies Antisemitism, Claims “Anti-Zionist” Intent

The Independent Greens have rejected the accusations. Candidate Rajesh Holmen claimed the slogan targets “a political ideology based on ethnic domination, apartheid, and oppression.” He said the goal was to ensure “the City of Copenhagen is not influenced by Zionist interests and drops any connection to the Zionist state of Israel.”

Holmen insisted that anyone accusing his party of antisemitism “cannot distinguish between legitimate criticism of Israel and antisemitism.”

However, the party’s defense collapses under scrutiny. While criticism of Israel is legitimate, denying the Jewish state’s right to exist or the Jewish people’s right to self-determination is antisemitic and stands in direct contradiction to the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism. Zionism is the expression of Jewish self-determination — so to oppose Zionism is to reject that right entirely. You cannot be anti-Zionist without also being anti-Jewish.

On social media, the party wrote: “We must protect Danish Jews by not mixing them up with Israel’s crimes.” Later, it posted another message boasting, “We are proud to not belong to the elite — the elite destroys the climate, supports Israel, and grabs all the community’s money.”

“Free Copenhagen From Zionism”: A Dangerous Normalization of Hate

By portraying Zionism as something to “liberate” a city from, the Independent Greens have injected antisemitic language into Denmark’s elections. Jewish leaders warn this campaign not only endangers Danish Jews but also normalizes antisemitism.

Moral clarity requires action. Governments must move beyond symbolic endorsements and enforce the IHRA Working Definition of Antisemitism as a binding standard. Only by applying it in law, education, and public life can societies draw the line between legitimate debate on Israeli policy and the age-old hatred now masquerading as activism.