The Swiss government announced today (Wednesday) that it will advance legislation banning the activities of the Hamas organization in the country. The government's statement said that "this is the most appropriate response to the situation prevailing in the Middle East since October 7."
According to the government announcement, the final wording of the bill will be submitted to the parliament by the end of this February. "The bill will give the authorities tools to fight the terrorist activities of Hamas or demonstrations of support for the terrorist organization throughout Switzerland," it said. "The administration directed the Ministry of Internal Security to examine the possibilities of outlawing the Hamas organization. In light of the dramatic situation in Israel and Gaza, the administration calls on all parties to respect international law and above all to protect the citizens."
As a reminder, at the beginning of this month Germany was the first country to ban the activities of Hamas in its territory, and at the same time it was decided to also ban the activities of the "Samidoun" organization, which deals with the release of Palestinian prisoners in Germany. "Anti-Semitism has no place in Germany," clarified the German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser. "We will fight it in all forms and with all the means of the constitutional state."