Swiss Abroad

Ceasefire is the aim for Gaza, diplomat says

This content was published on Jan 9, 2009 Ilan Elgar tells swissinfo his country is looking for a long-term ceasefire with the Palestinian territory’s main political force, one that will ensure a peaceful life for Israelis in the southern part of the country. Yet on Friday, Israel rejected a United Nations resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, as jets and tanks again…

Swiss Politics

Current affairs

This content was published on Jan 9, 2009

Mr Chips says goodbye

This content was published on Jan 9, 2009 Zweifel, aged 75, who has just retired from the family firm in Zurich after 50 years, resorted to a number of escapades when he started so that he could outsmart the competition. For example, he would buy their products in shops and replace them with his own. He also “spied” on one competitor’s activities by…

Switzerland calls for impartial Gaza inquiry

This content was published on Jan 9, 2009 In a statement released on Friday, the ministry said it is still calling for an immediate end to the violence and wants an impartial inquiry into possible violations of humanitarian law. Earlier in the day at an extraordinary session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, Navi Pillay, the top United Nations human rights official,…

Swiss Politics

Swiss Palestinian “appalled” by Gaza fighting

This content was published on Jan 9, 2009 swissinfo spoke to a Palestinian living in Switzerland about the current situation in the Middle East and how he sees the future. Sami Daher was born in 1959 in Nazareth in Israel. Although he has an Israeli passport, he does not regard himself as an Israeli citizen. “I cannot be an Israeli, an Arab citizen…

Swiss Politics

Gaza “not an issue” for most Israelis

This content was published on Jan 8, 2009 Although most Israelis support their government’s action, Ernest Goldberger says there is a “painful” lack of interest among the population in the events in Gaza. On Wednesday Israeli airstrikes and Hamas rockets resumed after a brief lull to allow food and fuel to reach Palestinian civilians in Gaza, where an Israeli warplane dropped leaflets urging…

Swiss Politics

Foreign minister sees hope for Gaza peace plan

This content was published on Jan 8, 2009 “The elements are on the table and there is hope that the parties can agree on a peace plan,” she told French-language Swiss radio on Thursday. She stressed her concern over the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, saying that this was where Switzerland could play an important role. She added that it was essential…

Swiss Politics

The hidden past of Swiss Nazi-era volunteers

This content was published on Jan 7, 2009 An exhibition in St Gallen details this long forgotten chapter of Swiss history through personal recollections and artefacts. The stories are told in “Cold, hunger and homesickness – Soviet prisons of war 1941-1956” currently on show at the city’s History and Folklore Museum. “More than 2,000 Swiss volunteers fought alongside the Nazis, but it’s not…

Swiss Politics

Retailers ignore clouds by predicting growth

This content was published on Jan 7, 2009 But industry experts believe that bosses of high-street stores are being over-optimistic and will have to revise their expectations as job losses and failing consumer confidence start to bite in. The retail sector report by Credit Suisse bank and consultancy firm Fuhrer & Holz reflected recent surveys in other sectors of the economy. These show…

Swiss Politics

Swiss business leaders plead for EU treaty

This content was published on Jan 7, 2009 They are anxious to ensure that voters in Switzerland accept an extension to the free movement of people treaty to cover new EU members Bulgaria and Romania. The issue comes to a nationwide vote on February 8, after the youth wing of the Swiss People’s Party and two marginal rightwing parties gathered enough signatures to…

Swiss Abroad

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