Finland has confirmed its rejection of Israel’s plan to annex large parts of the West Bank considering it a violation of international law.
This was voiced in a response by Finland’s foreign minister Pekka Haavisto to a question by Veronika Honkasalo chairperson of the Friendship Group with Palestine in the Finnish Parliament about the Israeli government’s plan to annex parts of the West Bank.
Haavisto said that Finland is part of the European Union and the international community and does not recognize the West Bank which is occupied by Israel since 1967 as part of the state of Israel.
Any change to the 1967 borders must be approved by the two parties involved he added.
Haavisto said that other countries should adopt the same position on the annexation because it violates the Palestinians’ right to self-determination which is a basic rule under international law.
Most of the European Union foreign ministers have also called for halting the annexation process through dialogue with the concerned parties especially the new Israeli government.
