Cassis is facing a storm of criticism over his remarks
Keystone / Ti-Press / Samuel Golay
Swiss foreign ministry staff have heaped further pressure on foreign minister Ignazio Cassis following his controversial statements on Gaza and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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An internal letter from the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), signed by approximately 250 civil servants and diplomats, demands a much firmer stance from the minister.
The signatories have denounced Cassis’s lack of firmness in the face of Israeli policy in Gaza.
“We are deeply shocked by the scale of the violence and destruction,” reads the letter, obtained by Swiss public broadcaster RTS. “As employees of the FDFA, […] we encourage you […] to strongly condemn the indiscriminate and disproportionate operations […] and to take appropriate measures to encourage Israel to respect its obligations.”
RTS was able to collect several testimonies that attest to the unease reigning within the department, which has been further exacerbated by Cassis’s media interviews.
+ Strong reaction to Swiss foreign minister Gaza comments
“We are stunned; we didn’t think he could go so far in repeating the arguments in favour of the Israeli government,” an unnamed foreign ministry source told RTS.
“We don’t feel properly represented. This is unworthy and unacceptable for a foreign minister,” another internal source chimed in. “He has crossed a red line. Internal criticism is intensifying, and some are hesitant to call for his resignation,” said a third person.
+ ‘Both sides must be condemned’ in Gaza: Swiss foreign minister
Former ambassador Jean-Hubert Lebet was a signatory of the letter to Ignazio Cassis. According to him, FDFA staff no longer identify with the minister’s line of defense.
“I wouldn’t say it’s mistrust. It’s simply that both our active colleagues and us retirees have the basic rules of this profession in our DNA,” he said. “This is what characterises Swiss foreign policy: respect for human rights, the Geneva Conventions, international law. We are in a situation where it is clear that very serious things are happening.”
Foreign ministry communications manager Nicolas Bideau confirmed having received the letter from the department’s employees. They will receive a response in the coming days.
Adapted from French by DeepL/mga
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