The arrangement has attracted little public attention because Finland's Ministry of Defence did not announce it.Image: Silja Viitala / Yle, Ronen Zvulun / EPA, Amir Cohen / Reuters, Patria, kuvakollaasi: Otso Ritonummi / YleYle News13:50Finland and Israel have quietly signed a memorandum of understanding covering defence materiel cooperation.Finland offered Israel an extension of defence materiel cooperation as the war in Gaza was already raging. The memorandum signed by the two countries is in force until 2034.The agreement is intended to facilitate joint work on the research, development and procurement of military equipment between the two countries.The arrangement has attracted little public attention because Finland's Ministry of Defence did not announce it.The memorandum itself is not new. It was originally drawn up in 2013, and its previous period of validity was approaching its end. In early 2024, Finland proposed extending the agreement with Israel.What distinguishes the new memorandum is its duration. Rather than the five-year terms used previously, the two sides agreed to a ten-year extension, taking it through 2034.The timing is also striking. By the time the memorandum was signed, tens of thousands of civilians had been killed in the latest war in Gaza, and Israel was facing mounting allegations of genocide.The MOU dated in February 2024. Image: Suomen puolustusministeriö, kuvankäsittely: Otso Ritonummi / YleMore of the same?Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen (NCP) approved the memorandum in early 2024. He described it as a routine arrangement between countries engaged in defence trade, noting that Finland has similar cooperation documents with around 40 countries, including Israel, which has been a partner for a long time.Häkkänen also said there was nothing unusual about extending the memorandum, given Finland’s previous arms acquisitions from Israel.Shortly before the Gaza war began, the Sanna Marin government decided to purchase Israel's David's Sling air-defence system at a cost of more than 300 million euros.The memorandum establishes a joint Finnish-Israeli coordination group that meets at least once a year. Finland is represented by Olli Ruutu, a defence ministry official.The group provides a formal channel for regular contact between defence industry officials, but its activities have received little public scrutiny. Yle sought more information about the group but was unable to interview Ruutu."Finland gives us a gateway into Nato"In May this year, Helsinki saw a Finnish-Israeli defence industry seminar, where dozens of military companies from both countries established contacts and explored potential business relationships.Israel's Ynetnews reported that the message from the Finnish delegation at the seminar was that Finland aims to deepen cooperation with Israel. According to the paper, two dozen projects are currently underway between the Finnish military and Israel's defence industry. The outlet ran the headline: "Despite Eurovision boycott, Finland hosts massive Israeli defence industry delegation".An Israeli defence ministry official meanwhile told the Jerusalem Post that "Finland gives us a gateway into Nato and the broader European market."Patria has long cooperated with Israeli defence manufacturers. Last year, the company decided to equip one of its armoured vehicles with Rafael's Trophy protection system, developed in Israel. Photo: Patria Image: PatriaAt the same time, public opinion points to a majority of Finns believing that arms trade with Israel should be halted.Last year, Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen (NCP) stressed that Finland had "virtually no arms trade with Israel." Prime Minister Petteri Orpo meanwhile said that each arms deal should be subjected to critical scrutiny.Kari Paasonen, a researcher of arms trade at the Tampere Peace Research Institute, says Finland's public position has been that it does not want to deepen defence materiel cooperation with Israel because of the Gaza war.Kari Paasonen at the Tampere Peace Research Institute has studied arms trade between Israel and Finland. Image: Grigory Vorobyev / YleBut, he argues, the memorandum of understanding on defence industry cooperation suggests the opposite: that Finland has in fact sought to deepen the relationship.Even if Finland makes no new arms purchases, previous deals mean it will remain an Israeli customer for years to come. The systems already acquired will need regular maintenance, spare parts, software and upgrades."Finland is, in practice, dependent on Israel's defence industry," Paasonen said.