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.
Do you want to read our weekly top stories? Subscribe here.
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.”
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
Adapted from German by DeepL/mga
Related Stories
Popular Stories
More
Demographics
Roger Federer is not eternal, but he changed tennis forever
Trump made direct financial demands during call with Swiss president
This content was published on
During the telephone call between Karin Keller-Sutter and Donald Trump on July 31, Trump demanded direct payments from Switzerland, according to an investigation by SonntagsBlick.
Demonstrators in Swiss capital demand better access to mental health care
This content was published on
Thousands of people demonstrated in Berne on Saturday afternoon against long waiting lists, the lack of therapy places and the absence of a clear pricing structure.
This content was published on
Swiss companies' expectations for salary growth are down by 0.3 percentage points compared to a year ago, according to a survey conducted by the Center for Economic Research (KOF).
One Swiss national killed in plane accident in southern France
This content was published on
A Swiss national was killed alongside a German national in a crash involving two light aircraft on Saturday afternoon in Saint-Pons, south-eastern France.
Over 6,000 apprenticeships remain unfilled in Switzerland
This content was published on
By mid-August, which is the start of the Swiss school year, some 6,400 apprenticeship vacancies remain, mainly in the construction, catering and machinery industries.
Japanese film Tabi to Hibi wins Golden Leopard at Locarno
This content was published on
The Japanese film Tabi to Hibi by director Sho Miyake won the Golden Leopard, the top prize in the international competition, on the final day of the Locarno Festival.
Switzerland could produce up to 5Mt of emissions annually by 2050
This content was published on
Two to five megatonnes of CO2 equivalents per year: this is the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that Switzerland is still expected to produce annually in 2050, a new study shows.
US tariffs putting 100,000 jobs at risk in Switzerland
This content was published on
US tariffs of 39% on Swiss imports will directly affect 100,000 jobs, mainly in the watchmaking, machinery, metals, and food industries, economiesuisse warns.
This content was published on
Switzerland has released CHF4 million (nearly $5 million) to help Sudan, which has been severely affected by famine and cholera.
Switzerland rejects new Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory
This content was published on
Switzerland says it rejects the announced construction of thousands of housing units in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian West Bank.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.