SDP leader demands answers on defence minister's Lebanon-Israel trip and government stance

Antti Lindtman told reporters that the SDP is not immediately joining the Greens' no-confidence motion against defence minister Antti Häkkänen, pending a thorough review. He asked whether the whole cabinet had agreed to Häkkänen's meetings in Lebanon and Israel, especially the encounter with Israel Katz, and what discussions were held about Finland's stance on a two-state solution. Lindtman also demanded an explanation for Häkkänen's failure to sign the twelve-country declaration prepared by foreign minister Elina Valtonen, which condemned Israeli actions on the West Bank.

He highlighted that the Finns Party and Christian Democrats quit the foreign-policy line after that declaration, and questioned the timing of Häkkänen's subsequent trip to Israel. Additionally, Lindtman criticized development minister Ville Tavio's decision to end funding for UNRWA, contrasting it with the EU's support for the agency. He concluded that the government's overall Middle-East policy appears completely chaotic.