Leila Nezirevic
13 August 2024•Update: 13 August 2024
LONDON
Nasima Razmyar, vice-chair of Finland’s Social Democratic Party (SDP) and a member of parliament, has sharply criticized the Nordic country’s handling of Israel’s brutal war on Gaza, accusing Helsinki of empty rhetoric without meaningful action, local media reported Monday.
Razmyar expressed deep frustration over the atrocities committed by Israel against Palestinians and the international community’s indifference.
“The endless toll of the Gaza war is difficult to put into words. We become desensitized to the constant headlines, which only breeds cynicism. The human suffering, the famine, the ashes of bombed cities—these are hard to describe because they have been ever-present throughout the war,” she was quoted as saying by national daily online newspaper the Helsinki Times.
The politician noted that despite the International Court of Justice (ICJ) calling for a cease-fire and declaring the occupation of Palestinian territories illegal, the war against Palestinians continues.
Razmyar’s comments came as international leaders intensified calls for a cease-fire and humanitarian aid to reach Palestinians.
French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a joint statement Monday calling for an immediate cease-fire and stressed the urgency of delivering aid to Gaza.
“The entire international community is finally beginning to understand the magnitude of this catastrophe. Opposition to the Gaza war has moved beyond news columns and comment sections. Protests now reach cultural events, university campuses and even businesses,” Razmyar said.
She condemned the Finnish government for abstaining from a United Nations General Assembly resolution that called for a cease-fire and for freezing support to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
“Since then, Finland has done little more than express a vague hope for the end of the war, without taking any concrete steps to bring about peace or hold the parties accountable,” she added.
According to Razmyar, Finland should play a bigger role in foreign policy by clearly declaring its stance and setting limits on the acceptance of war, just like Norway, Spain and Ireland.
She referred to recent comments made by former National Coalition Party MP and current MEP Aura Salla, who criticized Helsinki over arms trade with Israel.
“As Salla pointed out yesterday, it’s hypocritical for the Finnish government to engage in arms trade with a state committing genocide,” she said.
Razmyar further urged the Finnish government to advocate for trade sanctions against Israel.
“The horrific nature of the nearly year-long war has become all too clear, and the government can no longer hide behind the excuse of observing the situation.”
The politician questioned the credibility of Helsinki’s recent announcements supporting the end of the war on Gaza and the protection of civilians.
“Is this the legacy of human rights and foreign policy that the National Coalition Party wants to leave behind? They hold a full hand in Finland’s foreign policy. If the nature of the war is concerning, then political power must be used to end it. So far, the government’s actions towards ending the war have been far from convincing,” she added.
Her comments add to growing domestic pressure on the Finnish government to take a firmer stance in international efforts to put an end to Israel’s brutal war on Gaza.
Since Oct. 7 last year, nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, while more than 92,000 others have been injured, according to Gaza’s health authorities.
