Switzerland arrests rabid Jew hater Ali Abunimah after entry ban

Ali Abunimah, founder and CEO of the Electronic Intifada website, was arrested by Swiss police in Zurich following an attempt to attend a local Palestinian Committee event. Swiss authorities had previously banned his entry into the country due to what they described as antisemitic statements and incitement.

Mario Fehr, a member of the Zurich Canton council, told the Neue Zürcher Zeitung newspaper, "We don't want an Islamist Jew-hater who calls for violence in Switzerland." According to Fehr, local police had submitted a request to the Federal Police Office to prohibit Abunimah's entry into the country, which was granted before his arrest.

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee has spoken out against the arrest, characterizing it as "an attempt to stifle voices calling for justice." The organization has urged the U.S. State Department to intervene for Abunimah's immediate release.

Abunimah, a Palestinian-American activist who founded the Electronic Intifada website, has drawn controversy for his statements about the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. He celebrated the attack, describing it as "an anti-colonial operation" and disputed reports of civilian casualties, including denying accounts of murdered civilians and burned babies. In his public statements, he has compared Gaza to a concentration camp and likened Israeli media to the Nazi propaganda publication Der Stürmer. He has also claimed that "support for Zionism is not atonement for the Holocaust, but its spiritual continuation."

While the Electronic Intifada describes itself as an "independent online news publication focusing on Palestine," critics have accused it of promoting radical viewpoints. Thomas Patzko, who serves on the board of the organization "Never Again Now," has alleged that "Abunimah and his platform are a mouthpiece for Hamas."

The arrest was carried out following a preliminary investigation by Swiss authorities after they received information about Abunimah's planned participation in the local event. Swiss officials emphasized that the entry ban was specifically implemented due to concerns about incitement and antisemitic rhetoric.

Kikar HaShabbat contributed to this article.