Fears over Israel’s future on 60th anniversary

Sylvain and Yvonne Rueff-Bloch left their native Basel to spend six months on an Israeli kibbutz swissinfo.ch

On the 60th anniversary of the Israeli state one Swiss Jewish couple tell swissinfo they have happy memories of life there, but fear for Israel's "dark future".

Thirty-five years ago Sylvain and Yvonne Rueff-Bloch left Switzerland for a spell on a liberal kibbutz. Although they returned, and settled in Basel, their son is back in Israel.

They told swissinfo that the kibbutz experience was positive and left a lasting impression on their son – now a rabbi.

Through regular return visits to the country, they have come to see the positive and negative aspects, and the effects of war on its citizens.

swissinfo: Why did you decide to go to Israel?

Sylvain Rueff-Bloch: When I was young I was in a Zionist movement and we always talked about Israel, Israel, Israel. It was a dream of mine to get to know the country and the people. When my work gave me leave for six months, I suggested to my wife that we go to a kibbutz.

Yvonne Rueff-Bloch: We went to see what it was like to live and work on a kibbutz because it’s a completely different to life in town. Also, we had a four-year-old son and we said maybe this is the age to go and see things elsewhere before he starts school. We said, we’re Jewish so let’s go to Israel, see what it would be like if we ever had to leave Switzerland.

swissinfo: What was your life like on the kibbutz?

Yvonne Rueff-Bloch: It’s like a big camp. It’s a simple life because they take care of things for you. Everyone worked so the kibbutz could succeed. We ate together in a large dining room at lunchtime. It was good.

S.R-B: At the beginning we were a bit unhappy because our son did not like it there. He could only speak German and was isolated in the kindergarten. But after a while he got used to it. I did several jobs. I worked in the fields a lot picking oranges and grapefruit. I also worked in the kitchen at a hotel for tourists at the kibbutz.

Y.R-B: I worked in the kindergarten to start with and later with babies and then in the garden. I took advantage of not speaking German and learnt Hebrew. I really liked it but I missed my family in Switzerland and France.

swissinfo: You were in Israel in 1973 ahead of the October War. Were you affected by the political situation of the time?

S.R-B: We were there from January to July and at that time no one talked about war. But two months after we returned it happened.

Y.R-B: I felt something in the air. I felt that people were very nervous. The kibbutz had a small military airport behind it, and there were planes passing overhead, although this was at around Easter time and the war was in October. But I didn’t know what was happening.

swissinfo: Did living in Israel have an effect on your Jewish faith?

S.R-B: We are traditional Jewish. We were in a kibbutz that wasn’t religious at all. We celebrated Jewish holidays. There was a little synagogue but no one went to it. That was lacking in the kibbutz.

Y.R-B: But our son was happy. He wanted a religious tradition. When he was four years old, he would always wear his kippa. It was he who said he wanted to go to synagogue to pray every Friday and so we accompanied him. The others on the kibbutz could not understand why this young boy was so interested in religious tradition. He now lives in Israel. I later thought that maybe this experience influenced him.

swissinfo: How did it feel returning to Switzerland?

Y.R-B: It was very difficult to see how slow Swiss people go. I had to change all my opinions. Everything was regulated. It was another world all of a sudden and I had to adapt again to the Swiss mentality.

S.R-B: I was happy to be back. It was a nice experience to have done it. But my wife said from the beginning, ‘Our home is in Switzerland, our whole family is here, I will never live in Israel’. Maybe if my wife had thought differently, I could have lived there.

swissinfo: What are your impressions of Israel when you go back to visit now?

S.R-B: It has completely changed. When we were there it was calm, no one talked about war. There wasn’t fighting between Palestinians and Jews as there is now. Because of that we were quite happy there. But if we went today I am sure we wouldn’t last six months. We were just there for eight days and we had enough.

Where our son lives it’s another world. It’s very religious. He has seven children and it is very difficult. The cost of living is expensive. Salaries are naturally not like in Switzerland but the cost of living is almost as expensive as here. We can help them a bit materially but otherwise they would be a poor family.

Y.R-B: Our son’s family live close to Ramallah. For the children it is very difficult. They hear the planes. In the street they are told not to go here and there. It’s traumatic for both sides.

swissinfo: What are your hopes for Israel’s future?

S.R-B: There will not be peace between the two peoples in the near future. Because of that I feel negative about all that.

Y.R-B: I see the future of Israel as very dark because neither side makes a move, and especially with Hamas, with all the attacks every day. But one must always hope and dream in life that a miracle will come that will help people think. One can’t lose hope ever. Hope that they will find a solution together, live and let live, not make war and respect one another.

swissinfo, Jessica Dacey in Basel

60th Anniversary

May 14 marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel.

It followed a United Nations General Assembly resolution in 1947 to divide Palestine into a Jewish and an Arab state. Although the Jews agreed the Arabs called the declaration the Nakba (catastrophe).

Switzerland recognised the new state in 1949 and opened a consulate in Tel Aviv. This consulate was upgraded to an embassy in 1958.

The Swiss government sent congratulations to Israel on the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Jewish state, but it was not invited to attend celebrations in the country.

Relations between Israel and Switzerland have recently been strained over Switzerland’s signing of a gas deal with Iran, which is extremely hostile to Israel.

Around 18,000 practising Jews live in Switzerland.