The Swiss government has condemned remarks made by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in his opening speech to the Palestinian National Council in Ramallah on April 30.
News reports suggest that Abbas had linked the Holocaust to financial practices of Jews at the time. The remarks were condemned by the UN.
“Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas chose to use his speech at the opening of the Palestinian National Council to repeat some of the most contemptuous anti-Semitic slurs, including the suggestion that the social behaviour of Jews was the cause for the Holocaust,” said UN envoy Nikolay Mladenov on Wednesday.
The Swiss government expressed its support for Mladenov’s response.
“Switzerland remains committed to combating all forms of anti-Semitism and any attempts to trivialise or deny the Holocaust,” said the official statementExternal link on Thursday.
Apology
On Friday Abbas offered an apology. He condemned anti-Semitism and called the Holocaust the “most heinous crime in history” in a statement issued by his office in Ramallah after a four-day meeting of the Palestinian National Council (PNC).
More
More
Report: anti-Semitic incidents surged in 2017
This content was published on
The number of reported anti-Semitic incidents in German-speaking Switzerland rose by more than a third in 2017.
This content was published on
Nemo brought the Eurovision Song Contest to Switzerland with a victory on Saturday evening in Malmö, Sweden. It is Switzerland's third victory in the history of the music contest.
Switzerland abstains from vote on Palestinian bid for full UN membership
This content was published on
On Friday, Switzerland abstained from the vote at the General Assembly on granting the Palestinians new rights at the United Nations (UN).
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
This content was published on
The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
This content was published on
The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
This content was published on
Archive documents from September 1942 show how the government’s policy of turning away Jews at the Swiss border was controversial at the time.
This content was published on
On International Holocaust Remembrance Day meet two women with very different pasts, who have formed an unlikely friendship.
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.