Finland goes ahead with controversial arms deal despite ongoing killing and siege of Palestinians by Israel

By admin On Nov 17, 2023

Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Defense, Eyal Zamir (center left) and Ambassador of Finland to Israel Nina Nordström (center right) after signing the agreement for the sale of the David’s Sling air defense system, November 12, 2023 / Photo: Israeli Ministry of Defense

In a move that has sparked national and international criticism, Finland has finalized a €317 million deal with Israel for the David’s Sling air defense system, despite growing outrage over Israel’s military actions in the Gaza strip and other palestinian territories. This agreement, involving the transfer of sophisticated military technology, raises questions about the ethical implications of international arms deals in the context of human rights controversies.

The signing event, held at Israel’s Defense Ministry, was attended by key Israeli and Finnish officials, including Israel’s Defense Ministry Director General Eyal Zamir and Finland’s Ambassador to Israel Nina Nordström. The presence of top executives from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the manufacturer of David’s Sling, underscores the deal’s importance in Israel’s defense export strategies.

David’s Sling, operational in Israel since 2017, is designed to intercept a range of airborne threats. Its integration into Finland’s defense system is said to enhance the country’s capability to counter various aerial attacks, including those from ballistic and cruise missiles, aircraft, and drones. The system however failed to shoot down missiles fired from Syria two years ago and the only real life success has been in shooting down primitive home made rockets of Islamic Jihad in the ongoing conflict.

David’s Slings only real world success has been against primitive, unguided Islamic Jihad rockets

However, this arms deal comes at a time when Israel faces severe international criticism for its bombardment of civilians and military operations in Gaza. Reports of civilian casualties, with over 11,000 Palestinians reportedly killed in the last month alone, one third of them children, have led to accusations of human rights violations and ethnic cleansing. These allegations position the arms deal as a potential contributor to the re

Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi