“It would send the message that terrorism can get results” – 2024-08-26 14:29:46

SDP chairman Antti Lindtman demands that Petteri Orpo’s (kok) government take action so that Finland recognizes the state of Palestine. Miia Sirén

The SDP party government’s demand that Finland should take action to recognize Palestine has been both praised and criticized by other parties.

Chairman of SDP Antti Lindtman wrote on Sunday in the message service X that Finland threatens to be on the wrong side of history. Lindtman reminded that more than 140 UN member countries have already recognized the Palestinian state.

– The government should take action on the matter as soon as this fall. Everything possible must be done to end the cycle of violence, Lindtman wrote.

According to Lindtman, the risk of escalation is increasing and therefore the cycle of violence must be stopped immediately.

– A very welcome exit, great, commented the MEP from the Left Alliance Jussi Saramo Opening of SDP.

Sammallahti reviewed

Instead, the Prime Minister’s Party coalition MP Hello Sammallahti asked Lindtman how to break the cycle of violence by rewarding jihadist and anti-Semitic terrorists with their own state. In Sammallahde’s opinion, the recognition of Palestine gives greater incentives for the continuation of terrorism and war.

– What other awards is SDP ready to give to the rapist murderers of Hamas, Sammallahti asked.

Chairman of the parliamentary group of Christian Democrats in the ruling party Peter Östmanin according to, now is not the time to recognize Palestine.

Östman also serves as the chairman of the parliament’s Israel friendship group.

– First, a ceasefire is needed in the region, the hostages must be released, and after that the negotiation processes to promote peace forward. Recognizing the state of Palestine now would send a message that terrorism can achieve results, Östman stated in the press release.

“Only by mutual agreement”

According to Östman, the Palestinian state can only be created through a mutual agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, and not through external coercion.

– The two-state model in the region can only be realized in conditions that build trust; not now and not in the future under the leadership of the terrorist organization Hamas. The problem is that the majority of Palestinians also in the West Bank support Hamas’s violence against Israel, Östman pointed out.

According to Östman, it is not possible to negotiate or build cooperation with a country that is openly waging war and pursuing its own interests with its military actions until it stops its attacks. According to him, Hamas and Hezbollah must first stop the terrorist rocket attacks so that Israel does not have to constantly defend itself against the attackers.

– It must also be stated that the Palestinian Authority in its current form does not have the administrative, financial or structural prerequisites to become an independent state, Östman stated.

The government is still not worth it

Sweden has already recognized Palestine in 2014 and Norway announced in May that it would recognize Palestine.

Foreign minister Elina Valtonen (kok) said in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat at the end of May that Finland is not ready to recognize Palestine now. According to Valtonen, Finland prefers to recognize Palestine as part of a process that advances towards a truly peaceful solution for two states.

President of the Republic Alexander Stubb has also said that Finland will at some point recognize the state of Palestine.

– We are not pro-Israel, not pro-Palestine, but pro-peace, Stubb commented, among other things, during his state visit to Estonia in May. According to Stubb, a ceasefire is needed first.

Foreign Minister of the previous government Pekka Haavisto (Vihr), on the other hand, has said that it supports the recognition of Palestine.

Yle asked about the positions of the parliamentary groups on the recognition of Palestine at the end of May.

Chairman of Liike Nyt Harry Harkimon think that Finland should recognize Palestine, the Greens and the Left Alliance should recognize Palestine as well. The center, the coalition and the RKP did not consider the time to be right yet. Basic Finns and Christian Democrats opposed the recognition of Palestine.

In the spring, SDP’s position was even more cautious and that of the chairman of the parliamentary group Tytti Tuppurainen according to the party’s view is that at some point Palestine must be recognized.