Finland Faces Backlash Over Secret Military Deal Extension with Israel
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Finland‘s public broadcaster has exposed that Helsinki and Tel Aviv have covertly renewed a memorandum of understanding concerning military equipment cooperation. This agreement was reportedly finalized in early 2024 without official notification.
Channel 12 of the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation, citing the Hebrew-language economic newspaper Globes, reported that a segment of Finland’s opposition has strongly criticized the “confidential” extension of this memorandum until 2034.
Sofi Oksanen, leader of the opposition Green League, described the Finnish government’s policy in this matter as “a historical disgrace.” She criticized the government’s approach of deepening relations with Israel, arguing that it should instead exert greater pressure on the Israeli government in light of the ongoing regional conflict.
Israel’s military operations in Gaza in recent years have ignited widespread public anger across Europe, including Finland. Some Finnish officials have emphasized the necessity of stringent oversight for security agreements with Israel.
The original memorandum of understanding between Helsinki and Tel Aviv was signed in 2013. The Finnish government proposed its extension until 2034 in early 2024, and this renewal was recently finalized “secretly,” with no precise date of finalization announced. Previously, the agreement was renewed in successive periods of approximately five years, but this latest extension is for a full decade.
According to the Hebrew-language newspaper Maariv, the memorandum encompasses collaboration in research and development, the procurement of defense equipment, and the establishment of a joint Finnish-Israeli coordination group that convenes annually to review the defense relations between the two countries.
The newspaper further reported that Finland’s purchase of Israel’s David’s Sling missile defense system, valued at approximately 317 million Euros and signed in November 2023, represents the largest defense transaction between the two parties. Finland is the first country to acquire this system as part of its efforts to enhance its air defense capabilities against threats from Russia.
