Swiss demonstrators demand Middle East peace
Around 1,000 people took to the streets in Bern to demand a “just peace in Israel/Palestine” at the weekend. The national demonstration called for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the suffering in Gaza.
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With the event on the Bundesplatz, the organizations Amnesty International, The Group for a Switzerland without an Army (GsoA), Jewish Voice for Democracy and Justice in Israel/Palestine (JVJP) and Palestine Solidarity Switzerland (PSS) wanted to emphasise the responsibility of Switzerland and the appeal to the international community.
For six months, the world has been watching as the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza worsens “without hope,” GsoA said in a communiqué on Saturday. Over a million people are now at risk of starvation.
An immediate and permanent ceasefire and measures are therefore needed to ensure humanitarian aid and protect the civilian population. In view of the humanitarian catastrophe, it is irresponsible to suspend Swiss contributions to the UN Palestinian relief organisation UNRWA.
According to GsoA, around 1,200 people took part in the demonstration. Among the speakers were former government minister Ruth Dreifuss and former parliamentarian Pia Hollenstein.
Timrah Schmutz from Swiss Jews Against Occupation said in her speech that many Jewish people around the world were also affected by the enormous number of civilian victims in Gaza. More and more Jewish people rejected the occupation and oppression. “Our history teaches us that we cannot simply stand by in silence when there is suffering and injustice.”
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Adapted from German by DeepL/mga
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