Politicians demand: Switzerland must take tougher action against Hamas

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Switzerland responded quickly. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (EDA), led by federal councilor Ignazio Cassis (62), announced a few hours after the start of the Hamas offensive. Federal President Alain Berset (51) also spoke out on Saturday and called for an immediate end to the violence.

But from the point of view of many politicians, words are not enough. The escalation in the Middle East is fueling a debate in this country that has been raging in parliament for years. How to deal with the Islamist Palestinian organization that wants to destroy Israel? To date, Hamas is not classified as a terrorist organization in Switzerland – unlike in the EU, for example.

GLP National Councilor accuses the Federal Council of “cuddle course”.

A big mistake, says centrist councilor Marianne Binder-Keller (65). She has been advocating for a tougher approach to Hamas for years. “Hamas’ attack is an attack on the free world and its security architecture. We belong,” she says. Switzerland must now act urgently and ban the organization. For them it is absolutely incomprehensible that Hamas representatives have even been guests in the Federal Palace in the past. In 2012, Greenland Councilor Geri Müller (62) led her through parliament.

GLP national councilor Judith Bellaiche (52) also has no doubts that Hamas should be banned. She speaks of a ‘friendly course’ that Switzerland has followed towards the Islamists in the past. “Switzerland must also finally recognize that Hamas is a terrorist organization. Anything else is unworthy of a democracy like Switzerland.” This is not just a symbolic step. A classification as a terrorist organization would mean that Switzerland would have to be more careful in distributing aid funds, Bellaiche explains. To ensure that no Swiss tax money flows into the pockets of Hamas.

SVP is for a ban

The only party that voted unanimously in the National Council in 2018 in favor of banning Hamas or classifying it as a terrorist organization was the SVP. “We cannot work with an organization that aims to destroy Israel. If we allow that, we are not neutral,” says SVP Councilor Christian Imark (41), who submitted the proposal at the time. By the way, Imark and his fellow party members see things 180 degrees differently in the war in Ukraine. For them, neutrality means waiving sanctions against the attacker.

The Federal Council has so far opposed a ban, arguing that there is no legal basis for it. With the exception of Al-Qaeda and Islamic State, for which there is a special law, Switzerland does not ban any organization or group as such, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said at the time when addressing the initiative. But of course Parliament could change that. Security politicians will submit corresponding proposals in December.

“Escalation is not the solution”

However, left-wing parliamentarians remain skeptical of the demand, despite recent Hamas attacks. SP national councilor Fabian Molina (33) says that he has “no doubt” that Hamas is a terrorist organization. But, he emphasizes, in the past Switzerland was the only European country that could still talk to Hamas. “And if you want to talk to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, you can hardly get past Hamas.”

Green Land Councilor Christine Badertscher (41) has the same doubts. “The question is how we can help the population, especially the Palestinian one. Escalation is certainly not the solution.”

Source:Blick