Switzerland outlaws BDS

March 10, 2017 Agencies
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NGO Monitor has welcomed the vote in the Swiss Parliament calling on the government to “amend the laws, ordinances and regulations so that Switzerland can no longer subsidise, even indirectly, development cooperation projects carried out by NGOs involved in racist, antisemitic or hate incitement actions, or in BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) campaigns.”

Olga Deutsch, Director of NGO Monitor’s Europe Desk said, “Today’s positive developments in Switzerland are an important precedent in seriously countering BDS campaigns, antisemitism, and hatred. NGO Monitor was

Olga Deutsch

instrumental in providing details on the Swiss government’s funding of organisations that propagate anti-peace, anti-normalisation, BDS, and one-state policies.

This vote, and similar parliamentary initiatives in Europe demonstrate the importance of cooperation and dialogue on the NGO and BDS funding issue.    Knesset members should work alongside their European counterparts on guidelines and evaluation mechanisms that contribute to positive change in addressing this serious issue.”
As a research institute that deals with government funding to NGOs active in the Arab-Israeli conflict, NGO Monitor provided detailed and fully referenced  information to Swiss decision makers and media throughout the past year, leading to today’s motion.

In particular, the parliamentary vote focused on Swiss government funding to NGOs directly through the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Secretariat (managed by the Institute of Law at Birzeit University (IoL-BZU) in Ramallah and the NIRAS consulting firm in Sweden). This framework  provides core-funding to organisations, some of which are directly affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a terrorist group  designated as such by the USEUCanada, and Israel.

From 2013-2016, the IHL Secretariat provided a total of 2.38 million USD to organisations directly affiliated with the PFLP, while the Swiss government’s contribution amounted to approximately one-quarter of the total Secretariat budget. The IHL Secretariat distributes 56% of its budget to NGOs that advocate for BDS (boycott, divestment, and sanctions) campaigns against Israel.

The Swiss motion also stated that, “By incitement to hatred, we mean, for example, campaigns carried out by NGOs that may be considered as provocations by opposing groups or sovereign states. Under the term BDS campaigns, we include the notions of boycott, withdrawal of capital, or sanctions against opposing groups or sovereign states.”

Meanwhile the World Jewish Congress President Ronald S. Lauder also praised Switzerland’s move.

Lauder also welcomed the unanimous decision by the Council of States, the upper house of the Swiss legislature, calling on the government to ensure that all religious communities receive adequate protection against potential terrorist threats.

Both decisions, which Lauder called “admirable moves worthy of emulation,” still require the consent of the other house of the Swiss parliament before they can go into effect.

Lauder said: “The decisions of the Swiss legislature to ensure protection of the country’s religious communities against terrorist threats, and to recognize that boycotts of Israel belong in the same category as antisemitism and racism, are significant signs in defense of the Jewish community in Switzerland.

“The BDS movement claims to support Palestinians, but its real motivation is the delegitimization of the State of Israel. It is a movement based on the antisemitic denial of the Jewish people’s right to sovereignty in their own state. The Swiss parliament’s push to cease government funding of organizations that support such an ideology may finally help expose the lies and hypocrisies of the BDS once and for all.

“We are encouraged by the fact that so many lawmakers chose to vote in favor of these important decisions, and look forward to seeing them go into effect after approval by the other house. We hope that other countries in Europe will  follow suit,” Lauder concluded.

Comments

One Response to “Switzerland outlaws BDS”
  1. Adrian Jackson says:

    Switzerland is one of the major players in money laundering and tax evasion by crooks, including some corporate types, from other countries.

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