Left Alliance MP held in Israel over unauthorised attempt to enter Gaza 14.1.2020 | Yle Uutiset | yle.fi
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Israeli authorities detained Left Alliance MP Anna Kontula on the Israeli-Gaza border on Monday, according to reports first published by daily Helsingin Sanomat.
Kontula was held as part of an international activist group that was trying to organise a demonstration on the Gaza border to draw attention to the situation in the region. The group intended unauthorised entry into Gaza by bypassing legal routes.
"I was on my way to a demonstration and the intention was to enter Gaza to protest the humanitarian crisis caused by embargoes there,” Kontula told news agency STT.
Illegal entry into Gaza carries the risk of diplomatic repercussions. Kontula said that she had considered her actions in advance.
“In my view the attitude whereby we should not criticise violations of international law because it might weaken [bilateral] relations sounds very 70s,” she declared.
Kontula said that she also intended to protest the arms trade between Finland and Israeli companies, which she added must be stopped. The lawmaker said that Finland’s arms exports to Israel promote continued Israeli occupation and military activities in the region.
“Last autumn we received a great deal of information that led us to anticipate that the arms trade between Finland and Israel is growing and not declining as should be the case with a violator of international law,” she declared.