Finnish cultural influencers call for support of South Africa’s genocide case against Israel

By admin On Jan 30, 2024

Thumbnail of the video, released on YouTube by the Sumud – Finland Palestine Network.

A coalition of 75 Finnish cultural figures, including actors, musicians, filmmakers, and writers, has launched a video appeal urging the Finnish government to support South Africa’s lawsuit against Israel for alleged genocide in Gaza. The video, released on YouTube by the Sumud – Finland Palestine Network, features translated excerpts from South Africa’s submission to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), aiming to raise awareness of the case and advocate for Palestinian rights.

Prominent Finnish cultural personalities, such as actors Jani Toivola, Martti Suosalo, Hannu-Pekka Björkman, Vesa Vierikko, Anna Airola, actor and artist Chike Ohanwe, musician Pauli Hanhiniemi, and filmmakers Ima Iduozee, Shareef Abu Askar, Selma Vierinen, and Jenni Toivoniemi, among others, participated in the video. They call for an end to the genocide against Palestinians and the fulfillment of their human rights.

Elina Knihtilä, one of the actors featured in the video, emphasized the gravity of the situation in Gaza, stating, “1% of Gazans have been killed in a few months, and an increasing number of people believe that a genocide is taking place in Gaza. The material of the South African lawsuit is shockingly thorough and convincing, and it’s important that it’s also available in Finnish.”

The video also includes remarks from Sumud ry’s chairperson, Finnish-Palestinian artist Noora Dadu, who highlighted the emotional impact of hearing the charges during the ICJ session. “For many Palestinians, including myself, it was a moving moment when legal scholars in their wigs stated what Palestinians had been screaming into deaf ears for weeks, months, years. For perhaps the first time, I felt that Palestinians were spoken about in a prestigious context as human beings who the law should protect.”

Dadu further warned that Finland might be complicit in genocide by not actively supporting the ICJ’s lawsuit. She argued that Finland has an opportunity to promote peace and justice by supporting the case, thereby beginning to disengage from participation in ongoing crimes.

The video was produced by the Apartheid History workgroup of the Free Palestine community and the Sumud – Finland Palestine Network. The Free Palestine community is a collective of about 600 volunteers focused on low-threshold activities, and @apartheidhistoriaan is an Instagram account and YouTube channel originating from the community, providing Finnish-language information about the occupation of Palestinian territories, Israel’s apartheid, and genocide.

In late December 2023, South Africa filed a lawsuit against the State of Israel at the ICJ, accusing it of committing genocide through its attack on Gaza. On January 26, the ICJ imposed provisional measures on Israel regarding the genocide lawsuit, including preventing actions that could be interpreted as genocide and ensuring the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza. These provisional measures are legally binding.

The imposition of provisional measures is an interim decision in the handling of the genocide case, with the final verdict potentially taking years. Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen stated earlier that Finland would assess its stance on South Africa’s lawsuit in the spring, possibly supporting the case through an intervention declaration.

Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi