Sixty-two Finnish citizens are serving in the Israeli military, according to figures obtained by Swedish public broadcaster SVT from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The figures place Finland among four Nordic countries whose citizens are currently registered as serving in the Israeli military.
According to SVT, 150 Swedish citizens, 99 Danish citizens and 35 Norwegian citizens are also serving in the IDF. Together with the 62 Finnish citizens, the figures show that hundreds of citizens from the four Nordic countries are registered with the Israeli military.
SVT published the figures as part of a documentary examining Nordic citizens who have served in the Israeli military and the reaction some have faced during the war in Gaza. The documentary also looks at the experiences of people who hold both Nordic and Israeli citizenship and have served in the conflict.
Among those interviewed by SVT was a Scandinavian-Israeli dual citizen who fought in Gaza. The soldier asked the broadcaster to identify him by the name “David”.
The figures come as the Israeli military includes a significant number of personnel who hold more than one citizenship. According to the information reported by SVT, tens of thousands of IDF personnel have citizenship in two or more countries, although the figures for the Nordic countries specifically concern citizens registered as serving in the Israeli military.
The documentary also features Declassified UK, a British investigative news organisation that reports on British foreign and defence policy. The organisation has covered Israel’s military operations in Gaza as well as British support for Israel.
John McEvoy, editor of Declassified UK, discussed the figures for Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway in his interview with SVT. He stressed the importance of making information about foreign nationals serving in the Israeli military publicly known.
“It is important that people around the world know what is going on,” McEvoy told the broadcaster.
The figures provide a rare indication of the number of citizens from Nordic countries who are serving in the Israeli military, while the wider SVT documentary examines the personal and political questions surrounding their participation in the conflict.
