Ex-Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto (Greens) was photographed in the Parliament Annex in Helsinki on 22 May 2024. Israel is set to block Haavisto’s appointment as a UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, according to a report by the Israeli news website Ynet. (Vesa Moilanen – Lehtikuva)
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THE NOMINATION of ex-Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto (Greens) as a UN Special Coordinator (UNSCO) for the Middle East Peace Process could be blocked by Israel, according to a report by the Israeli news outlet Ynet.
Ynet wrote on 7 January that Israel has asked UN Secretary General António Guterres to propose new nominations for the influential post, after consulting Palestinians and the UN Security Council.
In Finland, Iltalehti and Helsingin Sanomat have both reported about the development.
Israel is reportedly opposed to Haavisto because he is considered a close ally of Guterres, who was declared as persona non grata in October by Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs Israel Katz. Katz cited Guterres’s failure to condemn a missile attack by Iran and “antisemitic and anti-Israel conduct”.
Also Haavisto’s support for a two-state solution for resolving the conflict between Israel and Palestine – which aligns with the official position of Finland – has annoyed Israel. The concern is that his nomination could result in more clashes between Israel and the UN.
Despite the concerns, his nomination is not completely dead in the water, according to Ynet.
Haavisto withdrew his name from the mayoral election in Helsinki in November, only a day after he had expressed his readiness to lead the municipal election ticket of the Green League in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat. His unexpected change of heart was due to him being offered the influential role at the UN.
US President Joe Biden on Wednesday said Israel and Palestine have reached a ceasefire agreement, which is expected to come into effect on Sunday, 19 January. According to The Guardian, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed in the early hours of today that the agreement has been reached, despite what is expected to be a significant political backlash from the far-right members of his ruling coalition. The New York Times on Thursday reported that the premier effectively had to choose between the agreement and his historically right-wing coalition.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
