Switzerland’s Preconditions for Recognizing Palestine

The Swiss President emphasized that the conditions for the formation of an independent Palestinian state are not yet in place and made recognition subject to several fundamental requirements.

According to Rokna, citing Anadolu Agency, Karin Keller-Sutter, President of Switzerland, said on Monday at a press conference with the Foreign Press Association in Bern that the necessary conditions for recognizing a Palestinian state have not yet been met.

She said: “In our view, certain criteria must be satisfied, such as the return of all prisoners and the bodies of victims, the establishment of a permanent cease-fire, and the existence of a clear peace plan. There must be a stable government and elections as well.”

In response to a question about whether Switzerland considers the events in Gaza to constitute “genocide,” Keller-Sutter said: “Switzerland condemns any violation of international law. We have condemned both Israel’s disproportionate intervention and Hamas’s attack. But whether these conditions amount to genocide or not is for international courts to decide.”

Later in the session, when asked about the decision by the Canton of Zurich to reject the admission of injured children from Gaza for treatment in its hospitals, she responded that the decision falls under the jurisdiction of the cantons, not the federal government.