Swiss foreign minister faces protests over his ‘pro-Israeli stance'

By Muhammet Ikbal Arslan

GENEVA (AA) - Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis faced a backlash over his "pro-Israeli stance" from pro-Palestinian protesters in front of the UN’s Geneva Office on Monday.

The Swiss Foreign Ministry organized an event in front of the office to mark the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Geneva Conventions.

The program was held with the participation of UN Security Council officials from New York, country representatives in Geneva, UN officials and several Swiss officials.

When Cassis came to the podium to give a speech, around 100 protesters began chanting slogans.

The protesters, waving Palestinian flags, criticized Cassis and the Swiss government for "taking a stance supporting Israel,” which continues its attacks in Gaza.

They chanted slogans in English and French, including "Cassis the collaborator" and "Shame on you.”

Some of the protesters laid on the ground for a while to symbolize the civilians who died in Gaza.

Some of the them also carried banners saying "Cassis has blood on his hands," "Resign" and "Stop the genocide.”

One of the protestors, Steve Lemercier, said: "We are here today to protest Cassis, who supports the genocide against Palestinians."

“There is a very difficult situation in Gaza. I cannot find the words to describe it. It is a terrible situation. We are trying to change something. We want Cassis to understand that not everyone is happy with his policy. We want Switzerland to recognize Palestine,” he added.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The onslaught has resulted in over 40,400 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and over 93,500 injuries, according to local health authorities.

An ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.