Swiss Action for Human Rights encourages civic engagement and advocacy for human rights in Switzerland by simplifying the process of reaching out to political representatives.

Our current actions focus on ending the aggression on Gaza:

Ceasefire, Humanitarian Assistance and Accountability

The Swiss government must intervene to stop the massacre in Gaza and in the West Bank and demand a permanent ceasefire and the respect of humanitarian and international law immediately. The situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and particularly in Gaza is catastrophic and the human suffering of its population cannot be tolerated. The Swiss government must urgently act to prevent the commission of further war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.

After more than 210 days of incessant and indiscriminate bombings, siege and starvation in Gaza by the State of Israel and continuous Israeli aggression in the West Bank, casualties surpass 34’700 Palestinians killed and 76’000 injured by Israeli forces in Gaza and over 495 Palestinians killed by Israelis in the West Bank since October the 7th 2023. The 134 Israeli hostages still held captive in the besieged enclave since then remain unable to be released due to the ongoing aggression, whereas Israel illegally holds more than 9’100 Palestinians in arbitrary detention. No safety is coming out of Israel’s full-blown military attack on Gaza since the tragic October 7th attacks: only destruction and human suffering persists.

Despite Switzerland’s historical positioning as a beacon of neutrality, diplomacy and for the protection of civilians in armed conflict, the current government of Switzerland fails to denounce Israel’s intentional, indiscriminate mass killings of Palestinians and blatant commission of war crimes. It also fails to prevent the commission of genocidal acts or genocide itself by the State of Israel, which the International Court of Justice has confirmed on January 26th of 2024 is plausibly taking place, underlining all Member States’ Parties to the Genocide Convention obligation to act to prevent such crimes being committed. 

The Swiss government has failed to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire. Such a ceasefire is crucial to stop the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe and crimes committed against the population in all of the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The Swiss government must commit to achieving it and act now to uphold international law and protect civilian life, to comply with its obligations under national and international law to prevent and stop genocide, to defend human rights and sanction war crimes. Else, the Swiss government will be complicit in these crimes.

The Federal Council and the Swiss government must urgently act to demand a permanent ceasefire, to ensure the protection of civilian life and to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinians via UNRWA financing, in a context of working towards ending the occupation of Palestine. Action is imperative: every hour counts for saving human lives in the region.

Take Action

We have prepared text templates for us, the people of Switzerland, to contact our elected representatives responsible for Swiss foreign policy in the Parliament to exercise our democratic rights and have our values represented by our government. By e-mailing our representatives, we aim to make sure that our voices are heard and that Switzerland’s committment to International Law, Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and the protection of civilians in armed conflicts, that we believe in and stand by, is honoured by our current government in its policy regarding Palestine. We therefore make these demands explicitly and directly from our government representatives: simply go on the page for French or German text and choose which parliamentarian to email.

We took inspiration from Jewish Voices for Peace in the United States and Voices in Europe for Peace. The above is adapted from their original, which can be seen in full here and here.

Please use the following templates to contact your local politicians:

Here you will find the English version of the letter template for ease of reference or other use, whereas the official letters are to be sent in French or German:

Dear [name of the representative],

I am writing to you today to demand that you ensure that the Swiss government brings about an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the cessation of violence and illegal Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank and provides urgent humanitarian relief to Palestinians. 

I do not tolerate the ongoing violence against the people of Palestine, rooted in their criminal occupation and oppression by the State of Israel. The Israeli government is slaughtering the population of Gaza through incessant bombings, ground attacks, starvation and the destruction of the medical system as well as all infrastructure. It has killed over 34’000 Palestinians in Gaza in the last six months, 70% of whom were women and children, and injured over 76’000 Palestinians. Israel’s blockade on Gaza is depriving 2,3 million people of food, water, medical supplies and all resources essential to survival. Israel is deliberately acting to bring about the Palestinian people’s physical destruction through starvation, disease and injury. This boundless violence constitutes war crimes and crimes against humanity that plausibly amount to Israel committing the crime of genocide against the Palestinian people, as ruled by the International Court of Justice on 26th of January 2024.

In the West Bank, over 495 Palestinian civilians, including 117 children, have been killed by Israeli military personnel and settlers since October 7th 2023, while the illegal settlement activity has expanded and over 8’000 Palestinians have been arbitrarily taken into detention.

These human rights violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity are flagrant violations of peremptory international law. These have been recorded and published for the world to see, fully known to the international community and the Swiss government: yet the Swiss government fails to hold the State of Israel accountable for these crimes.

Switzerland, as a State Party to the Genocide Convention, has the duty to prevent and stop genocide, while it is bears a special responsibility for the protection of civilians as the Depositary State of the Geneva Conventions on international humanitarian law. The Swiss government is failing to fulfil its duties, violating its mandatory obligations under international law and failing its population.

It is absolutely urgent that you, as part of the government, react immediately to rectify this. The violence in Palestine must be stopped immediately and permanently, because all humans have an inalienable right to life, security and peace. We make the following demands of the Federal Council and Parliament, which are to be immediately implemented in our foreign policy:

- All parties to the conflict must end the violence immediately and permanently through a lasting ceasefire. They must comply with all provisions of international law, UN resolutions and ICJ orders to this effect. Switzerland must employ all means at its disposal to ensure this happens now.

- Humanitarian aid and relief funds to the people of Palestine must urgently be provided. The Swiss government must resume and increase its payments to UNRWA and other humanitarian organisations supporting the people of Palestine, as these provide the services indispensable to their survival.

- Switzerland must end and refrain from any form of collaboration that might directly or indirectly support Israel’s crimes and violations of international law and impose sanctions on the State of Israel as long as it continues its illegal, criminal policies. Any form of military, scientific, economic or technological collaboration or trade with Israel must be stopped immediately and as long as Israel continues to occupy Palestine and violate the rights of Palestinians.

- Switzerland must ensure the application and enforcement of international law, in particular international humanitarian law for the protection of civilians and the Genocide Convention. It must immediately convene a Conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention as its depositary State, as mandated in the Convention and required by the UN Human Rights Council Resolution L-13, adopted on April 5th 2024. It must also ensure compliance with the Genocide Convention and support the legal proceedings before the ICJ and ICC to ensure accountability for violations of international law and the prevention and cessation of crimes of genocide and other crimes against the Palestinians.

- Finally, for a genuine solution to the conflict, it is imperative that Switzerland contributes its good offices for an end to the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the liberation and self-determination of the people of Palestine, with accountability and reparations made to them by the occupier. This includes supporting the State of Palestine’s full membership at the UN, and denouncing and taking action against Israel’s occupation of Palestine, with the imposition of sanctions on Israel, amongst others.

Please make my voice heard and support the above-mentioned demands.

Thank you very much for your commitment!

Kind regards,

[Your Name]

We stand for humanity, equality and justice. 

  • We stand for universal human rights and against injustice, we stand against violence and war.

  • We condemn all forms of discrimination and racism, in particular islamophobia and anti-semitism.

  • Criticism of Israel is not anti-semitism. Our history taught us to be critical and to speak in all conscience. We must speak up for human lives.

    Learn more about the situation in Gaza, the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and Israel: