to vote to give Palestine "non-member observer state" status at the U.N. After Palestine's U.N. status was upgraded, Israel responded by expanding the building of settlements, an act that Søvndal denounced as "illegal". Denmark was one of several countries that withdrew their ambassadors from Israel in reaction to this move. Opinions Søvndal supported the Iraq War at the start, but later changed his mind and became perhaps the war's most vocal opponent in Denmark. He has said that his role model is Nelson Mandela, "who despite torture, persecution and years of imprisonment retained his humanity and dignity" and was able to "provide leadership for the necessary reconciliation after the brutal apartheid regime". In Denmark, his role model is Gert Petersen, who was chairman of the SF when he first joined the party. "Gert was a sharp and rigorous debater who stood steadfast in his ideals of democracy, equality and solidarity" and who "had a great appeal to both the young idealist, the unskilled working class and the progressive scholar". Personal life He was first married to Laila Rifbjerg, with whom he had three children and later divorced from. For several years thereafter he lived with his fellow party member Pernille Frahm, but in 2007 he returned to Rifbjerg, and in 2008 they were remarried, only to be divorced again in 2010. On 23 November 2011, it was reported that Søvndal had secretly married Heidi Perto, who is 18 years his junior. He and Perto live with her daughter in Sønder Bjert. His daughter Anna Sofie Rifbjerg Søvndal became the local chairman of the Socialist People's Youth (SFU) in Kolding in 2007. His favorite album is Pink Floyd's The Wall. He also enjoys Sting and the Danish artists Allan Olsen and Johnny Madsen. Following his heart attack in 2013, Sønvdal quit smoking. References External links Biography (in Danish) from the website of the Socialist People's Party]. Søvndal's blog (In Danish) 1952 births Living people Foreign ministers of Denmark Socialist People's Party (Denmark) politicians Members of the Folketing 1994–1998 Members of the Folketing 1998–2001 Members of the Folketing 2001–2005 Members of the Folketing 2005–2007 Members of the Folketing 2007–2011 Members of the Folketing 2011–2015 Leaders of the Socialist People's Party (Denmark)