President Sauli Niinistö said that Finland condemns terrorism. The candidates for the 2024 presidential election also commented on Israel’s situation in the Finnish Entrepreneurs’ presidential exam.
The president of the Republic Sauli Niinistön according to the information about attacks on civilians in Israel is shocking. Niinistö commented on the matter on the message service X, i.e. the former Twitter.
Niinistö says that the violence must be stopped. According to Niinistö, Finland strongly condemns terrorism in all its manifestations.
Foreign Minister Valtonen also condemns the terrorist attacks
Also the foreign minister Elina Valtonen (collective) writes in the message service X that he strongly condemns the terrorist attacks against Israel.
He urges Finnish citizens in the area to remain vigilant and follow local instructions.
The presidential candidates commented on the situation at the Finnish Entrepreneurs’ presidential exam
The Finnish Entrepreneurs’ presidential exam related to the presidential elections to be held in February next year was held in Pori in connection with the national entrepreneur days.
They took part in the exam Mika Aaltola, Pekka Haavisto (green), Jussi Halla-aho (ps), Olli Rehn (center) and Alexander Stubb (cook).
Helsingin news showed in this article live broadcast of the exam.
Stubb and Haavisto have visited the conflict zone
Alexander Stubb (kok) said that he visited Israel and Gaza as foreign minister in 2011.
– The first observation was that the terrorist activities of Hamas are to be condemned.
Stubb considered the situation extremely serious and reminded that it is 50 years since the Yom Kippur war, i.e. since the last time there was a more severe war between Israel and the Palestinians.
– When the world’s police, i.e. the United States, slowly but surely withdraws from the fields of the world, conflict situations arise.
Pekka Haavisto (green) also said that he had worked in Israel and Palestine around the solution to the conflict.
– Fortunately, there are still parties in the region who are looking for peaceful solutions. Haavisto considered it important that the Arab countries have partially softened their relations with Israel.
– Israel has a right to exist and we must protect it in every way. The Palestinians should also get their own house in order.
According to Haavisto, the fact that Hamas carries out such attacks regardless of the Palestinian government is completely inexcusable.
Rehn and Aaltola reminded about Russia
Olli Rehn (Centre) also thinks it is important to condemn the terrorist act of Hamas.
– Although Russia’s illegal war of aggression in Ukraine is the biggest threat to European peace and security, there are also other dangerous crisis centers. The international community is currently too weak to solve them.
Mika Aaltola sympathized with Israel and its civilian population, and considered the attack a reprehensible act.
Aaltola also brought up Iran as the main sponsor and supporter of Hamas, and as a distraction to prevent the creation of a peace agreement between Saudi Arabia and Israel.
– We also have to remember that one war fuels others, Aaltola said, referring to Russia’s war of aggression and Iran’s alliance with Russia.
Halla-aho: Finding a solution is difficult
Jussi Halla-aho (ps) mentioned that there is a saying in Israel that Israel cannot afford to lose a single war because it has nowhere to retreat.
– This state of affairs in a certain way always forces Israel to respond to terrorism or aggression from its neighbors with great force. According to Halla-aho, it is very difficult to find a solution to the situation.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are no known Finnish victims
A total of 187 Finns have filed a travel declaration to Israel and 15 to the Palestinian territories, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ communication to STT.
The ministry does not have official information about Finns permanently residing in Israel, but it is estimated that there are about a thousand of them. So far, the ministry does not know whether the attacks on Israel have claimed Finnish victims.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs advises Finns in the area to follow the instructions of the authorities, inform their next of kin of their stay and make a travel declaration.