Justice Not Arms – End Arms Trade with Israel

Sumud calls on Finland to end all arms trade and military cooperation with Israel.

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Finland has a decades long history of arms trade and military cooperation with the state of Israel. Despite Israel’s ongoing violations of international law and the oppression of Palestinians—culminating in the ongoing genocide where well over 40 000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed—Israel considers Finland one of its closest military trading partners. 

While Finnish arms exports are regulated by Finnish and international law, arms imports suffer from weak regulations. To help fill this gap, Sumud supports the Initiative to regulate defence procurements, which calls on Finland to increase the regulation of arms imports, so the decision-making process includes the consideration of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the exporting country. Find the english translation here. Since the beginning of the current genocide, Finland has continued to purchase weapons systems from Israel worth hundreds of millions of euros. These purchases bolster Israel arms companies involved in human rights violations. By funding and providing legitimacy to the Israeli government and arms companies, Finland gives support to Israeli apartheid, colonialism, occupation, and the ongoing genocide in Gaza. 

On the world map, Finland has historically positioned itself on the side of international law and human rights. Sumud calls for Finland to live up to this commitment by ending all arms trade and military cooperation with Israel.

We demand that the Finnish government:

  1. Stops buying arms from Israel and cancels all current import agreements;
  2. Stops issuing export licences for arms and dual use products to Israel, and freezes all existing licences;
  3. Withdraws from the Memorandum of Understanding with Israel and all other forms of military cooperation;
  4. Commits to making sure that no Finnish arms or dual use items are exported to Israel through third parties.

In the above, arms refers to all military equipment, technology, software and know-how.

In September 2024, Sumud filed a complaint to the Chancellor of Justice questioning the legality of Finland’s arms trade with Israel. Specifically, the complaint questions whether Finland – by continuing to provide export licences and to purchase weapons from Israel – is violating its obligations under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), both of which are enshrined in Finnish law. Since October 7, 2024, a plethora of evidence has been put forth demonstrating Israel’s genocidal intent and practice of apartheid, including the UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese’s report titled ‘Anatomy of a Genocide’, the ICJ’s interim ruling that genocide is “plausible”, and the ICJ’s advisory opinion that Israel is breaching Article III of ICERD by perpetrating apartheid and racial discrimination against the Palestinian people. Given these facts, the complaint interrogates whether Finland has failed to fulfil its obligations to help prevent genocide and racial discrimination by continuing to sell to and purchase arms from Israel. 

Other action has also been taken to inform the public and combat the arms trade relationship between Israel and Finland. For instance, the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD) Finland had a campaign in 2012 against the arms trade, whereby the names of influential people in the arts, sciences, and politics are collected in support of ending the arms trade immediately. The Killer Deal -campaign from spring 2023 is another effort to stop Finland from trading arms with Israel, which surveyed incoming members of parliament on Finnish-Israeli arms trade.

In its provisional ruling of January 26, 2024, the International Court of Justice stated that the risk of genocide in Gaza is “real and imminent” and that it is plausible that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza against the Palestinian people. In July 2024, the ICJ advisory opinion further stated that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is against international law, and that “Israel had illegally exploited the Palestinians’ natural resources and violated their right to self-determination.” According to reports by various human rights organisations, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and B’Tselem, Israel’s policies in the occupied territories amount to crimes against humanity, including apartheid and persecution. The advisory opinion confirmed that Israeli restrictions on Palestinians in the occupied territories constituted “systemic discrimination based on, inter alia, race, religion or ethnic origin”. The state of Israel has ignored international law for decades and continued its brutal and illegal occupation of Palestine and violation of Palestinians’ human rights. Already in 2004, the ICJ ruled that the separation barrier within the West Bank violates the human rights of Palestinians and is illegal, and that the settlements have been established in breach of international humanitarian law. 

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has killed tens or hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza, almost half of which are children. Thousands more are still missing under the rubble, presumed dead. Israeli attacks have injured tens of thousands of civilians and displaced 1.9 million people. Over 60% of residential buildings and infrastructure have been destroyed. Simultaneously, Israel has continued its annexation of Palestinian lands, with thousands of Palestinians continuing to face an imminent risk of expulsion from their homes. There is significant evidence of war crimes which have been committed by the Israeli military in Gaza, such as the discovery of mass graves, sexual violence, forced starvation, attacks against medical professionals, journalists, and UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, and the use of white phosphorus. On October 10, 2024, a UN commission confirmed that Israel has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Reports from experts and human rights organisations have further collated evidence of Israel’s crimes against Palestinians. Notably, Anatomy of a Genocide, a report published on  March 10, 2024, by the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian Occupied Territories, extensively demonstrates the Israeli government and military’s intent to commit genocide. The report also highlights Israel’s distortion of the key principles of international humanitarian law – including distinction, proportionality, and precautions – to justify their assault of the entire Palestinian population. In the words of Special Rapporteur Albanese, “no Palestinian in Gaza is safe by definition”. Similarly, the report Genocide in Gaza: Analysis of International Law and its Application to Israel’s Military Actions since October 7, 2023 – compiled by network of human rights experts from US universities – presents a thorough legal analysis which argues that “that Israel’s actions meet the legal threshold of genocide, producing legal obligations for Israel and the international community to end the slaughter”.

These crimes are enabled by the military and financial support offered by the US and Europe to the Israeli government, making them complicit. The current genocide in Gaza bolsters the Israeli military industry, which has seen steady growth for the past 20 years, and markets its products as ‘battle-tested’. As journalist Antony Loewenstein writes in The Palestine Laboratory (2023):

“Israel has developed a world-class weapons industry with equipment conveniently tested on occupied Palestinians, then marketed as “battle tested.” Cashing in on the IDF [Israeli military] brand has successfully led to Israeli security companies being some of the most successful in the world. The Palestine laboratory is a signature Israeli selling point” (p. 16). 

States are responsible for adhering to the obligations of international treaties which they are party to. In the context of Israel’s genocidal campaign, this requires states to fulfil their responsibilities under the United Nations Charter (1945), the Rome Statute (2002), the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) (2014), the Genocide Convention (1948), the ICERD (1965) and the Geneva Conventions (1949) – including abiding by the rulings made by relevant judicial bodies such as the ICJ. By continuing to engage in arms trade with Israel, Finland is failing to abide by its treaty obligations, as it continues to fund and provide legitimacy to a state which has been found to be plausibly committing genocide.

In terms of the arms trade, Finland is bound by the ATT and the EU Council’s Common Position on Arms Exports (2008). The Common Position binds EU member states to humanitarian controls on arms exports and commits them to prevent “the export of military technology and equipment which might be used for internal repression or international aggression or contribute to regional instability.”

However, arms imports are more relevant in Finland’s case, as Finland is a major purchaser of Israeli weapons systems. Articles 5 and 6 of the ATT regulate “arms transfers”, which includes both the import and export of weapons. Specifically, the Art. 6(2) obligates states “not [to] authorise any transfer of conventional arms…if the transfer would violate its relevant international obligations under international agreements to which it is a Party.” As such, the ATT does not discriminate between arms exports and imports, and requires Finland to not authorise the import of weapons which violate its obligations under other international agreements. That said, there has been no practical enforcement or judicial interpretation of these provisions in such a way. This lack of concrete application has left a critical gap in arms transfer control and regulation. In Finland’s case, the gap is being addressed by the Initiative to regulate defence procurements, which aims to introduce human rights and international humanitarian law considerations into defence procurements. 

Finland is also party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD). These conventions place both positive and negative obligations on states. While negative obligations prohibit the crimes of genocide and racial discrimination, positive obligations mandate states party to use all reasonable means to prevent such crimes. By engaging in arms trade with Israel – including providing new arms export licences and purchasing military equipment – Finland is providing both financial and military support, and legitimacy, to the Israeli government, which continues to perpetrate genocide and uphold apartheid against Palestinians. Continuing the trade thus calls into question Finland’s own commitments and obligations under the Genocide Convention and ICERD to prevent and not participate in genocide and racial discrimination. 

Beyond its legal obligations, Finland faces mounting pressure from its citizens to ensure that its actions align with international standards and moral imperatives. The Finnish population and government are acutely aware of the situation in Gaza and the West Bank and have a moral responsibility to act against the genocide. A study by Fingo has shown there is substantial public support for imposing sanctions on Israel, and Finland’s voting patterns in international forums such as the UNGA and Human Rights Council demonstrate the existence of political will to confront this issue. By halting arms transfers, Finland can meaningfully demonstrate its commitment to human rights and its role in fostering international peace and accountability.

Brief history of military cooperation between Finland and Israel:

Arms trade between Finland and Israel is not a marginal nor a new phenomenon. Finland and Finnish arms manufacturers have been complicit in Israel’s settler colonialism since the founding of the state of Israel and its accompanying ethnic cleansing of indigenous Palestinians in 1948, also known as the Nakba. As early as 1948, the Tampere-based corporation Tampella, known in Finland for its textile factories, started to engage in the arms trade with Israel. Soltam arms corporation was founded in Israel to manufacture Tampella grenade launchers in a new munitions factory in Haifa, fully furnished with Finnish machinery. Today, Soltam Systems is part of Elbit Systems, one of the most significant arms manufacturers in Israel. Finnish complicity in early Israeli settler colonialism was significant, as noted by Israeli defence minister Moshe Dayan, who attributed the result of the 1967 war in part to Tampella grenade launchers.

Since the Tampella-Soltam collaboration, Finland and Israel have maintained extensive cooperation in defence and military technology. In 2013, the Finnish Ministry of Defence and the Israeli Defence Ministry signed a Memorandum of Understanding, in which the countries expressed their contentment with the existing cooperation on military products and noted that the joint development, research, and production of these products would be mutually beneficial for both countries. This document was renewed in 2019 and again in the beginning of 2024 while Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.

This cooperation between Finland and Israel is significant both financially and in terms of the reputational benefit it provides for Israel. Although Finland has a long history of arms exports to Israel, its current role is more prominent as a buyer, exemplified by the recent procurement of the Israeli David’s Sling missile system. The Israeli Defence Ministry has even listed Finland among six key countries to which Israel’s military exports have been particularly significant. As such, the import of Israeli arms to Finland is estimated to have already crossed the mark of one billion euros in the 2000s.

Notable arms deals between Finland and Israel 2008-2024

David’s Sling 2023-2024

On November 12, 2023, Finland signed a €317 million deal for the David’s Sling missile system with Rafael Advanced Defence Systems. As well as the outright cost of the weapon system, the procurement agreement includes additional options and components for performance enhancement worth €213 million. for The David’s Sling is the most recent high value arms deal between Finland and Israel. In December 2023, Finland paid €79 million in advance for the weapons system. 

The Finnish Ministry of Defence press release from April 2023 states that the David’s Sling procurement contract “will include a separate part between the Israel Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Defence of Finland to ensure the security of supply of the system… The arrangement will ensure the availability of critical system components in all security situations”. Following Israel’s use of the David’s Sling in October 2024, the justification of the purchase, based on its demonstrated use in conflict, has only increased in Finnish media. This illustrates the dangerous trend of using Israel’s “field testing” of their military technology in the context of the genocide in Gaza as marketing strength for their arms exports.

It is important to highlight that, by taking place in November 2023, the procurement agreement was signed during the genocide. Israel began bombing Gaza directly following October 7, launching ground operations on October 13 and a full land invasion on October 27. From the very beginning of its military assault on Gaza, Israel’s actions were condemned as illegal by international experts and organisations. Despite its knowledge that the genocide was underway, Finland proceeded with signing the agreement. 

Elbit Systems – International Defence Electronics Company

In 2022, Finland’s Defence Forces signed a procurement contract to the value of €24.4 million for field radios from the Israeli supplier Elbit Systems, to replace the analogue radio system which was due to be decommissioned. The field radios are to be delivered to Finland between 2022-2024.

Patria and Nammo

Patria is the biggest weapons manufacturer in Finland. The company is 50.1% owned by the Finnish government. Patria has been heavily involved in the arms trade with Israel for decades. For instance, from 2012 Patria jointly developed the Havoc-armoured vehicle with Israeli defence firm Plasan Sasa; from 2008 Patria cooperated with Elbit Systems on a militarised motorbike, and tested Elbit’s turret for armoured vehicles between 2020 and 2021; in the 2010s, Israeli weapons manufacturer Rafael and Patria jointly developed the Spike-missile system.  

Patria, majority-owned by the Finnish state, also owns 50% of the weapons manufacturer Nammo. The Norwegian government owns the other 50%. Nammo’s munitions, components and weapons have been used by Israel in the genocide in Gaza. These include, at least, the use of Nammo’s M72 rocket launcher RPGs in Gaza; the use of motors manufactured by Nammo in Sidewinder missiles used by Israel; and the delivery of at least 1,800 M141 rocket munitions, manufactured by Nammo in the US, to Israel during the genocide. Despite the state’s majority ownership of Patria, the Finnish government is not exercising its control over Nammo, and neither the Ministry of Defence or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides any oversight over Nammo’s arms exports to Israel. These gaps must be rectified and the Finnish government must use its ownership of Nammo to end all weapons deliveries to Israel.

Lockheed Martin F-35 2021-now

In December 2021, the Finnish Minister of Defence Antti Kaikkonen announced Finland would buy 64 F-35 fighter jets from US manufacturer Lockheed Martin for €8.38 billion. Training and necessary infrastructure will cost Finland an additional €780 million and future maintenance purchases are estimated to cost at least €840 million.

Signing the deal with Lockheed Martin, alongside Finland becoming a member of NATO in April 2023, opened the door for Finland to participate in the global supply chain for the development, manufacturing, and maintenance of F-35s. In 2026, Patria will begin manufacturing the front frames and landing gear hatches for F-35s, making Finland a concrete part of the F-35 global supply chain. Insta, the privately owned technology and security firm, will also begin providing aviation technology maintenance services for Finland’s F-35 fleet, with the potential to expand to other F-35 possessing states. According to Insta’s Advanced Senior Vice President Petri Reiman, “the potential market is broad“.

F-35 components and spare parts are pooled and there is “no current system” to track components, meaning they may end up in any country which owns F-35 fighter jets. As such, while court cases in states such as the Netherlands have blocked the supply of F-35 parts directly to Israel, the lack of transparency and control means components may end up in Israel through third parties.

Israel is a central actor in the global supply chain of the F-35. The Israeli government has been involved in the system’s development since 2003 and was the first to receive the F-35 Lightning II fighter jets outside the US. Israel has also used F-35s in Gaza and Lebanon to continue its high-intensity airstrikes. Hence, it is necessary to ensure that while Finland is joining the F-35 supply chain, Finnish military components and maintenance services are not allowed to be supplied to Israel.

Existing Export Licences

Finland has three existing export licences that have been allowed to continue since the beginning of the genocide. These included export licences for Millog Oy (until December 31, 2023) and SSAB (Until June 30, 2024). The third and classified export licence has been speculated by the press to be a Sensofusion anti-drone and airspace detection system ordered by the Israeli Ministry of Defence. This system has been used in the past year to protect Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanjahu. Additionally, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Export Control Unit, in April 2024, there were still 27 individual export licences to Israel, six of which had been issued in 2024. The Finnish government should cancel the remaining export licences and ensure no new licences for goods going to Israel are provided.

Dual Use Exports

The UN Human Rights Council demanded in April 2024 that states must end arms exports and the export of dual use products in cases in which there is a risk of negative humanitarian consequences in the Palestinian territories. Despite this, Finland has continued exporting dual use products to Israel. In 2024, there were over twenty active dual use export licences to Israel. Although the contents of many of these licences are confidential, many of them have been issued to Nokia Oyj. In July 2024, Nokia was an official corporate sponsor of “IT for IDF”, a technology conference representing collaboration between tech companies and the Israeli military. Given Nokia’s open support for the IDF and their multiple dual use export licences, it is reasonable to question whether Nokia’s dual use products are used by the IDF to perpetrate the genocide in Gaza. Nokia must end all collaboration with the Israeli government and the IDF, to ensure no products from Finnish companies are used to perpetrate atrocities against the Palestinian people.

Take Action

Do you want to get involved in demanding an end to the arms trade between Finland and Israel, but don’t know where to start? Look below to find ways you can join the fight to stop Finland from arming and funding genocide:

  • Sign the Initiative to regulate defence procurements
    Sumud is a supporter of the Initiative to regulate defence procurements, which, if successful, would increase the regulation of arms imports, requiring decision-making to consider violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. It is a vital step in ending arms trade with Israel. If you are a Finnish citizen, sign the initiative and share it with others!
    Sign the Initiative to regulate defence procurements
    See the English translation

  • Join Sumud and/or Sumud’s arms trade group
    You can join Sumud as a member or you can join to get organised in the local chapters of Sumud or in the Justice Not Arms work group. To participate in the Justice Not Arms group, send an email to [email protected].

  • Contact your labour union (or other organisations you participate in) to ask them to make a statement against the arms trade with Israel
    This is especially important as Palestinian Labour Unions have jointly requested acts and displays of solidarity from workers and unions internationally against arms trade with Israel. You can find the Palestinian workers’ call to action and action guidelines here. You can also ask them to publicly support the Initiative to regulate defence procurements!

  • Join demonstrations and protests against arms trade
    You can find information on upcoming protests by signing up for the Sumud weekly newsletter (scroll to the bottom of the home page on the website), by following your local Sumud chapters on social media, and by familiarising yourself with other groups organising against arms trade in your area.

  • Share information regarding arms trade with Israel
    Follow us on social media where we share information regarding arms trade between Finland and Israel. You can also find more information shared by Francesca Albanese (the UN Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories), and Palestinian journalists such as Bisan Owda and Hossam Shbat. Share the information you learn with others on social media and/or by writing opinion pieces to newspapers!

  • Contact your political representatives and demand them to support ending arms trade with Israel
    Reach out to your local political representatives and demand them to take a stand against arms trade with Israel. You can write a letter, email, call, or contact them on social media.

  • Create art calling for an arms embargo or end to arms trade
    You can share artwork you create with us via social media or email ([email protected]).

  • Campaign with us: Use whatever platform you have to advocate for an end to arms trade with Israel
    Advocate for anti-arms trade, BDS, and solidarity actions and statements in your place of work, your place of education, your union, your hobbies, groups, political parties, and organisations. Use whatever platform you already have to advocate for actions that would contribute to ending the arms trade that fuels Israel’s genocide in Gaza.

  • Campaign in your institutions, universities to break ties with any arms companies or Israeli firm complicit in Israeli apartheid or genocide, especially Israeli universities who have proven complicity in arms trade.