Middle East|According to Sdp chairman Antti Lindtman, there is a risk that Finland will be on the wrong side of history in recognizing the state of Palestine.
Opposition party Sdp demands that Finland recognize the state of Palestine. The chairman of the party talks about it Antti Lindtman for HS.
“It’s time for Finland to recognize the Palestinian state and do its part to achieve peace,” he says.
In Lindtman’s opinion, the government should take action on the issue this fall. Recognizing him would promote peace in the Middle East and “an end to the bloodshed.”
“Everything possible must be done to end the cycle of revenge.”
More than 140 UN member states have recognized the state of Palestine according to the pre-war borders of 1967. In them, Palestine would include the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. At present, Israel effectively controls the territories in many ways.
Finland is not among the recognized countries, but supports the so-called two-state model in the region. Palestine has not been recognized either by, for example, Germany, France, Great Britain or the United States.
Lindtman is afraid that Finland would end up on the “wrong side of history” in the matter.
President by Alexander Stubb and Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen (cook) along Finland is not ready yet to recognize Palestine but waiting for the right moment. It’s all about timing, they say.
“Rather, I see a risk in the fact that Finland’s foreign policy threatens to fall behind the times,” says Lindtman.
Norway, Ireland and Spain in May said they confessed Palestine. Sweden already recognized it in 2014. Lindtman highlights Norway’s reasons for recognition.
“Norway considers that the recognition of Palestine as a state can help strengthen moderate forces on the Palestinian side and enable them to peacefully establish a Palestinian state,” he points out.
Of the other parties, at least the Left Alliance has supported the recognition of Palestine. Also from the Greens, for example, MP, former foreign minister Pekka Haavisto told in May having turned to this position.
Lindtman’s according to him, it would first and foremost be about conveying the message: the issue of Palestine has not been forgotten.
“Recognizing Palestine would send a strong signal that the world is still ready to support the two-state model.”
According to Lindtman, at the same time, the long lines of Finland’s Middle East policy could be adhered to, i.e. that Israel has the right to sovereignty and secure borders and at the same time the Palestinians have the right to live in their own, internationally recognized country.
The SDP’s party government outlined the party’s position on the matter last Thursday. Before this, the Sdp has supported the two-state model and talked about the recognition of Palestine at some point in time, but has not demanded any action to promote the matter.
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