EJP | News | Swiss Jewish community slams President for pro-Hamas comments

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Swiss Jewish community slams President for pro-Hamas comments

Updated: 04/May/2006 16:20

Moritz Leuenberger, President of the Swiss Confederation. 'It would have been 'more reasonable' to give Hamas a longer probation period in order to judge its viability as a political authority."

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The Swiss Federation of the Jewish Communities (FSCI) has expressed its shock after the President of the Swiss Confederation said he believed Europe should continue donating funds to the Hamas-run Palestinan Authority.

During an interview on Arab television station Al Jazeera, Moritz Leuenberger said it would have been "more reasonable" to give Hamas a longer probation period in order to judge its viability as a political authority.

In the interview last month, Leuenberger said he believed that the Palestinian elections were "democratic", and that their result should "be accepted”.

Extreme concern

The FSCI reacted with extreme concern and wrote an open letter to Leunberger.

"The members of the Swiss Federation of the Jewish Communities were not only surprised, but before all were very shocked by your declaration at the time of your interview to the television chain Al Jazeera,” the letter read.

“While taking an opposite position to that of the European Union, you gave an opinion about the inter-Palestinian conflict between Hamas and the President Abbas and took the party to support a terrorist organization, which has the acknowledged goal to wipe off the card the State of Israel.”

The letter continued: “To be democratically elected does not give all the rights, and certainly not that to practice a policy based on terrorism and the assassination of innocent people, as it was again the case in Tel-Aviv a few weeks ago.

“How much time do you still want to give to Hamas, so that this organization ceases supporting terrorism, recognizes the right to the existence of the State of Israel and agrees to work so that the Middle East could finally enjoy a fair and equitable peace?

“How many attacks do you still want to wait for, how much innocent victims have to be tolerated in order for you to lose your illusions and your naivety?”, the FSCI concluded.

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The Israeli Ambassador of Israel to Bern said he felt that the President of the Swiss Confederation dealt with the situation in the Middle East “in an false way" and he would contact him about the comments.

On German language television chain DRS, Aviv Shir-On stated that Hamas had sufficient time since its election to the government to recognize the State of Israel and to give up violence.

The Ambassador said that he will get in touch, during the next days, with Moritz Leuenberger.

The declarations also arose the anger of the UDC (Swiss right-center wing party), which sees it as alack of the traditional Swiss neutrality.

According to Luzi Stamm, President of the Commission of foreign policy of the National Council, the affair will be raised during the next meeting of the council.

Contrary to the European Union (EU) and the United States, Switzerland decided to continue its humanitarian engagement in the Palestinian territories.

However the foreign ministry refused to condemn the comments. "Politically, there is nothing new in the declarations of the President of the Swiss Confederationy," said Jean-Philippe Jeannerat the spokesman of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.”

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