Swiss diplomats take swing at gov. over complicity in Gaza genocide
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Over 50 Swiss diplomats are urging Bern to recognize Palestine and cut all ties with Tel Aviv’s military regime.
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A Palestinian woman mourns as she embraces the body of her daughter Mayar Abu Odeh, 8, who was killed in an Israeli army strike on Gaza. at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (AP)
A group of 56 former Swiss diplomats has issued a sharp open letter condemning Switzerland's "silence and passivity" amid the Israeli regime’s ongoing war crimes in Gaza. Addressed to Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, the letter accuses the Swiss government of failing to uphold its humanitarian obligations, while denouncing "Israel" for engaging in what the signatories describe as a campaign of “genocidal ethnic cleansing.”
Published over the weekend, the letter calls on Bern to unequivocally reject "Israel’s" military reoccupation of Gaza and its plans for mass civilian expulsion, actions that the diplomats deem violations of international law and clear indicators of a "genocidal process".
The letter’s signatories include high-ranking former ambassadors to major world capitals such as Berlin, Washington, and Tehran. Notable names include Paul Seger, Tim Guldimann, Urs Ziswiler, Didier Pfirter, Jean-Daniel Ruch, and Philippe Welti, figures long regarded as seasoned voices in shaping Swiss foreign policy in the Middle East.
In a pointed critique of the recently proposed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a US- and Israeli-backed aid mechanism, the diplomats warn that Swiss cooperation with the project would contravene UN principles of neutrality, transparency, and independence. They argue that rather than alleviating suffering, the foundation risks becoming a tool for the Israeli occupation to exert control over humanitarian aid flows.
The signatories call on Switzerland to publicly distance itself from the initiative, stating that involvement would implicate Bern in facilitating a system that reinforces the occupation's grip over Gaza’s civilian population.
Demands for sanctions, divestment, and accountability
The letter outlines a broad set of demands aimed at realigning Swiss policy with international human rights norms. Among them is the immediate suspension of all scientific and academic cooperation with Israeli institutions involved in documented rights violations.
The former diplomats also call for a halt to any Swiss financial investment linked to the Israeli military or intelligence sectors, emphasizing that Switzerland must not be "financially or institutionally complicit in a military regime engaged in the mass killing and displacement of Palestinians."
They further urge the Swiss government to ban the entry of individuals wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), including Israeli occupation officials and Israeli settlers convicted of acts of violence. The letter specifically notes the ICC’s arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Security Minister Yoav Gallant as a legal basis for such measures.
Push for recognition of Palestine, prisoner release
In a shift from traditional Swiss policy, the former diplomats call for the immediate recognition of the State of Palestine. They urge Bern to join the 148 UN member states that have already taken this step, describing recognition as a moral and legal imperative amid what they identify as a deepening humanitarian catastrophe.
The letter also demands that Switzerland support the release of all Palestinian prisoners held without trial, in line with international human rights standards. At the same time, the diplomats express support for the release of Israeli captives, underscoring the need for balanced and rights-based engagement.
In their closing remarks, the former envoys stress that neutrality cannot mean silence in the face of atrocity. They urge the Swiss government to reassess its policies before its international credibility is permanently compromised.
