Jewish representatives resign from Swiss Interreligious Working Group

© Keystone / Jean-christophe Bott

They are demanding that President Rifa'at Lenzin clarify her position on the Swiss-Palestinian Association (SPA).

The Interreligious Working Group in Switzerland IRAS COTIS, an association of 70 religious communities, has suffered a setback. The two Jewish representatives on the committee have decided to resign from the association in protest. They are demanding that President Rifa’at Lenzin take a clear stand on the Swiss-Palestinian Association (SPA).

The Secretary General of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG), Jonathan Kreutner, confirmed to the Keystone-SDA press agency on Sunday the information published in an article in the NZZ am Sonntag. He criticised Rifa’at Lenzin for her links with the Swiss-Palestinian Association.

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Since the Hamas attack on the Gaza Strip a month ago, the SPA’s position has apparently become more radical. The Jews of Switzerland are calling for an “unequivocal distancing from this orgy of violence and its perpetrators”.

“By refusing to withdraw from the association, Lenzin is legitimising the SPA’s position and statements of recent weeks”, continued Kreutner. In his view, this represents a fundamental breach of trust towards the Jewish community in Switzerland.

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