Swiss doctors and paramedics initiated a hunger strike in front of the parliament in Bern on Monday to protest the ongoing war in Gaza, urging the Swiss government to adopt a firmer stance against Israel.
Switzerland has condemned certain Israeli actions during the conflict, such as the attack on a hospital last month, but has refrained from implementing harsher measures that the protesters demand, including imposing sanctions on Israel or recognizing a Palestinian state.
The protesting doctors donned medical uniforms stained with fake blood and wore stethoscopes to highlight the plight of civilians in Gaza. They have committed to a rotational hunger strike lasting 24 hours, which will continue throughout the parliamentary sessions in September.
Professor Pietro Magno-Horst, a surgeon and member of the Swiss healthcare workers’ association against genocide, stated, “The white coat used to protect you; today, if you want to save a life, you must take it off, which is unacceptable. It is also unacceptable that we do not respond to this situation.”
This protest follows similar demonstrations at Swiss universities and other gatherings over the weekend, particularly in light of the famine affecting some areas of Gaza.
Professor Karl Blanché, director of the Geneva Centre for Humanitarian Studies and one of the protesters, remarked, “We can say that the government is currently silent and ineffective. I would characterize it as somewhat cowardly and severely lacking in courage. I believe that today is the time for change.”
The Swiss Foreign Ministry has not immediately responded to requests for comments. However, in July, it had stated, in response to a protest letter from the hunger strike organizers, that it was shocked by the suffering in Gaza and called for the guarantee of humanitarian aid and a ceasefire.
Switzerland, which maintains close ties with Israel but is committed to neutrality, agreed to the sanctions imposed by the European Union on Russia over Ukraine, leading some critics to accuse the country of applying double standards.
Two Swiss citizens were killed in the attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the current conflict in Gaza.