Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund, the largest environmental organization in Israel, has been banned from participating to the Maailma Kylässä, the ‘’World Village’’, an annual festival organized this weekend in Finland.
Organizers, the multicultural organization Kepa, previously declared that Israeli organizations, specifically the Jewish National Fund, will not be allowed to take part.
The Israeli embassy in Finland protested to the Finnish government and was told that the festival “is a private event on which the foreign ministry has no authority”.
Dan Ashbel, the Israeli ambassador to Finland, was shocked by the decision: "I wonder how this scandalous decision is consistent with values such as eco-friendliness, fairness, tolerance, and the desire for peace. I wonder if the rest of the organizations in the festival are required to stand up to the same criteriae."