Jewish communities federation praises Swiss foreign minister Cassis

SIG President praises Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis Keystone-SDA

The president of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG) has praised embattled foreign minister Ignazio Cassis as doing "a very good job".

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Ralph Friedländer told the Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper that Cassis is committed to the Geneva Conventions, humanitarian aid in Gaza and peace.

Much is done discreetly and is not always visible, he added. Cassis, who has been criticized for not taking a firmer line with Israel, had gained an impression of the situation on the ground – which is important, said Friedländer.

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Otherwise there was a risk of condemning actions without knowing exactly what had happened.

Friedländer rejected criticism of Cassis for failing to publicly condemn alleged violations of international law by Israel. Cassis has not commented on the specific accusation of Israeli soldiers shooting Palestinians queuing for food.

This is because Cassis lacked reliable information, said Friedländer. He defended the approach of Cassis and emphasised that in war situations, all parties tend to spread narratives that do not correspond to the facts.

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As a former employee of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation for many years, Friedländer described the Swiss government’s restraint as a strength. “It makes sense because you often get further with other countries if you don’t show them up in public,” Friedländer explained.

Public criticism of Cassis

On May 27, more than 100 organisations and personalities – including former Federal Councillors Micheline Calmy-Rey and Ruth Dreifuss – wrote an open letter to Cassis calling on him to do more to protect international law in Gaza. Among other things, they called for an immediate ceasefire, unhindered access for humanitarian aid, the release of all hostages and a clear public statement on the situation in Gaza.

As the depositary state of the Geneva Conventions, Switzerland bears a special responsibility and must not remain silent in the face of “systematic violations of international law and basic humanity”, the letter states. The Federal Council was called upon to review its Middle East policy and be publicly accountable.

Translated from German by DeepL/mga

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