Will Finland finally ban settlement trade?

The Finnish government has said that it intends to either introduce national or support EU restrictions on trade in goods with Israel’s illegal settlements.

This is long overdue. Finland is already obliged by international law to ban settlement trade, so the new statement simply says that Finland intends to finally stop violating the law.

But prohibiting trade in goods is not enough: As in the case of Ukrainian territories occupied by Russia, the measures must also include the provision of services from and for the settlements. For example, the company Wolt provides services to the illegal settlements, thus supporting human rights violations.

Without years of work by civil society, the government would not have announced even this small step. When MP Veronika Honkasalo introduced a bill banning settlement trade in 2022, only 35 MPs supported it. She introduced a similar bill in 2024, again supported by 35 MPs, and it was sent to the foreign affairs committee in 2025.

All the government has to do now is to approve this proposed legislation.

The Palestine solidarity movement has campaigned for a ban on settlement trade for years. The fact that this is now coming to pass in many European countries is a victory. Without further pressure, the government may instead wait for an EU level decision. We must ensure that Finland follows through!

But this is only the start. As the next step, Finland must stop all arms trade with Israel, in line with its obligations under the apartheid and genocide conventions.