Finland Must Not Be Complicit in Genocide — Arms Trade with Israel Must End and Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen Must Resign

We strongly condemn the joint Finnish-Israeli defence conference held in Helsinki in May 2026. Around 30 military industry companies from both countries participated in the two-day event, and Olli Ruutu, Director General of the Resource Policy Department at the Ministry of Defence, gave a speech at the conference. According to Israel’s Ministry of Defence, the event was jointly organized by Finland’s Ministry of Defence, Finnish Defence and Aerospace Industries (PIA), and Israel’s Ministry of Defence.

The conference was held in a situation where the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry (September 2025), Amnesty International, the International Association of Genocide Scholars (IAGS), and numerous other organizations and legal scholars have concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. As early as January 2024, the International Court of Justice stated that the risk of genocide was real and imminent. The International Criminal Court has also issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant in connection with war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In this situation, military cooperation with Israel cannot be morally justified. Israeli arms companies openly market systems that have been used in the genocide in Gaza. When Finland purchases such weapons and opens its doors to these companies, it is not only accepting the use of Palestinians as test subjects for weapons systems — it is also creating an economic incentive for the continuation of the occupation and genocide. Finland’s Ministry of Defence must not use its authority and prestige to facilitate business with Israeli arms companies.

The Ministry of Defence’s communication on the matter has been inadequate and has raised distrust. In a statement by Israel’s Ministry of Defence, Finland’s Ministry of Defence was presented as one of the organizers of the event, but the Finnish Ministry’s Director of Communications, Niina Hyrsky, denied this. However, she could not explain how the information ended up in the Israeli statement. This is not a minor communication error. At best, it means the ministry is giving the Finnish public an incomplete picture of the actions of the government and the Ministry of Defence. At worst, it is a lie concerning Finland’s involvement in genocide. The Finnish public has the right to know what kind of cooperation is being maintained, in their name and with public funds, with a state committing genocide.

Instead of communicating openly about the matter in advance, the event was organized out of public view. Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen was unavailable to comment on the matter, and Tuija Karanko, Secretary General of PIA, refused to be interviewed.

Antti Häkkänen is not a suitable person to serve as Finland’s Minister of Defence. During his term, Finland has deepened military cooperation with a state that the UN commission of inquiry has found guilty of genocide and whose prime minister has been ordered arrested by the International Criminal Court. Häkkänen’s ministry allowed Israel to officially name Finland’s Ministry of Defence as an organizer of a marketing event for a genocidal war machine — and when the matter came to light, the minister evaded responsibility by refusing to comment. This is not a misjudgment. It is deliberate and systematic evasion of responsibility in a situation where the erosion of Finland’s standing under international law and its moral credibility falls directly under his responsibility.

Häkkänen can no longer enjoy the confidence of Parliament or the citizens. He must resign immediately.

In April 2026, a citizens’ initiative considered by Parliament on regulating defence procurement would have required Finland to take into account the human rights situation and compliance with international humanitarian law also in decisions concerning arms imports. Parliament rejected the initiative — thereby leaving the door open to exactly the kind of activity now being witnessed.

Finland has positioned itself as a defender of international law and human rights. Preserving this reputation — and the deeper moral foundation behind it — means refusing to participate in enabling genocide, whether as buyers of weapons, providers of platforms for their sale, or partners in the arms trade.

Helsinki, 28 May 2026

Signatories
Finnish-Arab Friendship Society (FAFS)
Finnish Peace Committee
Nahlieli – Jews for Justice in Palestine
Palestinian Community in Finland (PALCIF)
Sumud – the Finnish Palestine Network
The Left Youth
The Green Youth and Students