Swiss diplomats denounce government’s complicity in Israeli genocide

Fifty-six former Swiss diplomats have issued a scathing open letter condemning their government’s “silence and passivity” in the face of Israel’s war crimes in Gaza, accusing the occupation state of carrying out “genocidal ethnic cleansing” and demanding immediate punitive measures.

Addressed to Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis, the letter published over the weekend calls on Switzerland to reject outright Israel’s ongoing military reoccupation of Gaza and its plans to forcibly expel the civilian population, actions the diplomats describe as violations of international law and hallmarks of a “genocidal process.”

The signatories include a number of high-ranking former envoys, including ex-ambassadors to Germany, the US, Iran, and the Middle East. Among them are Paul Seger, Tim Guldimann, Urs Ziswiler, Didier Pfirter, Jean-Daniel Ruch, and Philippe Welti.

The diplomats expressed their strong opposition to any cooperation by the Swiss government with the newly proposed “Gaza Humanitarian Foundation”. The US-Israel initiative they argue is incompatible with the UN’s core principles of neutrality, transparency, and independence. The foundation, they warn, risks becoming a mechanism for Israeli control over aid, rather than a genuine humanitarian initiative.

The letter also calls for the suspension of all scientific and academic collaborations with Israeli institutions involved in human rights violations, along with an immediate halt to any Swiss investments in Israel’s military and intelligence sectors.

“Switzerland must not be complicit—financially or institutionally—in a military regime engaged in the mass killing and displacement of Palestinians,” the letter asserts.

The former diplomats urge Bern to ban from Swiss territory any individuals subject to arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court (ICC), including Israeli officials and extremist settlers convicted of violence. They further demand the clear labelling of all Israeli products imported into Switzerland, especially those originating from illegal settlements. The ICC has issued arrest warrants for both Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

In a clear policy shift, the diplomats call for Switzerland to immediately recognise the State of Palestine and to join the 148 UN member states that have already done so. The also call on the government to urge the release of all Palestinian prisoners held without trial, alongside the release of Israeli hostages.

Read: Switzerland considers investigation into Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s activities