Switzerland

“This incident is part of a series of antisemitic attacks that have increased sharply in Switzerland since October 2023. Jewish people have become targets of insults and physical violence simply because of their appearance and their Jewish identity,” according to a statement by the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities.

The reported incidents ranged from antisemitic remarks in public spaces and far-right symbols to direct provocations on the way to school or in the playground. Threats and assaults on students were also reported.

“It is positive that Sunrise and Swisscom are assuming responsibility and taking the Swiss Hamas ban very seriously,” said Jonathan Kreutner, secretary-general of the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG).

City Councillor Simone Brander highlighted that “the Eruv is a sign of the diversity lived in our city” and reaffirmed Zurich’s commitment to enabling all residents to practise their religion freely.

The Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG) has welcomed the introduction of the national strategy, calling it an important and overdue step in safeguarding minorities.

Julius Freund, a German-Jewish textile manufacturer from Berlin, collected more than 700 works. During the Nazi regime, he fled to England with his wife Clara. The art collector died there in 1941 in a hospital for the poor.