Israel’s oldest friend in the Danish Parliament, Axel Larsen, died today at 74, leaving a gap in the ranks of left-wing parliamentarians supporting Israel’s position in the Middle East. Mr. Larsen, who represented the Social Folk Party, always backed Israel and the Jewish people, especially Danish Jews.
During World War II he was a member of the Danish underground. Caught by the Nazis and deemed too important to be killed, he was sent to Neugamme concentration camp, where he stayed until war’s end in 1945. After the liberation Mr. Larsen was a Cabinet minister in Denmark’s first national coalition government. He visited Israel several times and made contact with its leading left-wing faction, Mapam, as well as with Histadrut, the labor federation. The Israeli Embassy here sent an official letter of condolence to Mr. Larsen’s family and party today.
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