Finland’s opposition condemns government’s military pact with Israel as ‘historic shame’

Tehran - BORNA - According to a report by Finland's national public broadcasting company (Yle) on Saturday, the government had quietly signed a memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on military cooperation with Israel, extending military ties until 2034.

The MoU covers research, development and procurement of military equipment and was proposed by Finland in early 2024, when the previous five-year agreement was due to expire.

Green League chair Sofia Virta described the government’s policy toward Israel as a “historic shame,” saying “When we demanded pressure on Israel, the government tightened cooperation.”

The Left Alliance said its lawmakers would submit a parliamentary question seeking information on who knew about the MoU and what steps the government plans to take regarding arms trade with Israel.

Party chair Minja Koskela questioned why the agreement had not been publicly announced and said the government’s approach was “intolerably shameful.”

Yle reported that the 2024 renewal was not referred to Finland’s Foreign Ministry as the previous agreement had been in 2019, raising questions about how the agreement was handled.

Finland has already established several major military links with Israel, including a more than €300 million deal for the David’s Sling air-defense system approved shortly before October 2023.

Yle also revealed that the new memorandum created a joint coordination group between Finland and Israel that is expected to meet at least once a year.

Finnish arms corporation Patria has also worked with Israeli companies on military systems for armored vehicles, including Rafael’s Trophy active protection system and Israeli anti-tank weapons.

During an interview with Jerusalem Post on May 14, an Israeli ministry of military affairs representative described Finland as “Israel’s gateway to NATO and European markets.”

Since Israel launched its genocidal assault on Gaza, it has killed at least 73,000 Palestinians, and wounded more than 173,000 others, most of them women and children.

The genocide has happened amid the silence of Western countries and their continued delivery of lethal weapons to the occupiers of Palestinian lands. 

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