Finland Quietly Signs New Security Agreement With Israel

Finland and Israel quietly signed a memorandum of understanding deepening their defense cooperation, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reported Saturday evening. The agreement covers research, development, and procurement of military products, extending a cooperation framework established between the two countries more than a decade ago.

According to the report, the original protocol was drafted in 2013. In early 2024, Finland approached Israel and proposed extending it. Under the new document, the agreement period was extended from five years to 10 years.

The agreement was approved in writing between the defense ministries of Finland and Israel. In its response to Helsinki, Israel described the relationship between the countries as a unique partnership based on shared values and interests.

The agreement was revealed after Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, Ville Tavio, announced yesterday that his country would end its financial support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA.

Finland was one of more than a dozen countries that temporarily suspended funding for UNRWA during 2024, following allegations that 12 agency employees were involved in Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel.

At the time, Finland was in the midst of a four-year agreement with UNRWA, covering 2023 through 2026, under which it committed to providing the agency with five million euros annually in humanitarian aid. After Helsinki resumed funding in March 2024, it continued to meet the commitments set out in the agreement.

Still, ending support for UNRWA does not necessarily mean an end to Finnish aid for Palestinian refugees. According to Tavio, one possible channel to which Finland may direct its support in the future is the UN’s new reconstruction fund for Palestinian refugees. "We are examining various options," Tavio said in a press release.