Cassis Criticizes Swiss Government: “Federal Council is Cowardly”

Wherever Ignazio Cassis appears at the moment, he is always asked about the Gaza conflict. On Wednesday, the Foreign Minister repeated the core message of his policy on the Swiss public television channels in Italian and French-speaking Switzerland: “We must condemn both warring parties.” While he criticized the Israeli government for obstructing humanitarian aid, he also said, “We do not have the right to shift sole responsibility to Israel.” After all, Hamas still holds Israeli hostages, preventing a ceasefire.

Cassis will not appease his critics with this. After former SP Federal Councillors Micheline Calmy-Rey and Ruth Dreifuss signed an appeal to the Federal Council last week, 55 former diplomats have also spoken out, expressing “shock” at the “silence” on Gaza. Present employees of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs also urge their boss in a letter to “take appropriate measures to compel Israel to fulfill its obligations.” The letters are in possession of the NZZ.

Criticism or Activism

In particular, the letter from former employees of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs contains controversial passages. The former diplomats in their letter demand to suspend scientific and academic collaborations contributing to violations of international law, as the University of Geneva did this week. They also propose that “Israeli” import products originating from settlements be labeled.

Although the demand refers to illegal settlements, and the word “boycott” is not mentioned, the letter in parts resembles the vocabulary of the BDS, which is classified as antisemitic in Germany. Furthermore, the letter speaks of “genocidal processes” as highlighted by the International Court of Justice. The other letter signed by Calmy-Rey and Dreifuss also calls for respect for the right of return of Palestinian refugees.

The pressure from former and current employees on the Foreign Minister comes in the context of the recent Israeli army offensive in Gaza and growing European criticism. It also signifies the strained relationship between Cassis and numerous employees in his own department. This relationship has been complicated since his first day in office, especially regarding the Middle East conflict.

“Herd Mentality” in the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs

Before his election to the Federal Council, Cassis, who practiced as a doctor for years, was primarily known as a health policy advocate, mockingly referred to as “Doctor Cassis.” However, even as a National Councillor, there were indications of his foreign policy stance as a Federal Councillor: in parliament, Cassis was Vice President of the Switzerland-Israel Parliamentary Group, suggesting he would adopt a more Israel-friendly line than his predecessor Calmy-Rey. This may have been a reason why he had the support of the SVP during his election.

After his election, Cassis shifted his politics to the right and restructured the traditionally left-liberal department accordingly. He linked International Cooperation (IZA) to migration and economic policy. Early on, he surprised the diplomatic corps, IZA employees, and NGOs with a taboo break on the Middle East conflict within a few months of taking office. He questioned whether the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) was part of the solution or part of the problem in the Middle East. When intense criticism arose five years later that UNRWA employees were involved in the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023, he temporarily suspended financial support to UNRWA.

From the perspective of many conservatives, this is consistent. However, left-wing aid organizations and politicians were outraged from the beginning that Cassis repeatedly distanced himself from the UN. Additionally, Cassis criticized the actions and ideological compass of his employees multiple times. Many of them had served under Calmy-Rey and the left-liberal Didier Burkhalter, with Cassis accusing them of politicizing their work. “It should not be the officials who determine the course, that is the task of the leader,” he told NZZ in 2017. Many EDA employees were not even aware that they followed a particular ideology. “They conform to the majority and thus advance professionally. Breaking this herd mentality is very difficult,” he also complained in the “Weltwoche.”

Political Officials

Many experts from the diplomatic and development cooperation circles have not forgiven Cassis for these words to this day. They feel wrongly politically suspected, as reported by NZZ from conversations with individuals from the EDA environment. Those who insist on compliance with international law are immediately considered left-wing. Andrea Studer is mentioned as an example. The former Deputy Director of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (Deza) had to leave her position at the end of 2024. She was responsible for the Middle East and reportedly clashed with Cassis over funding Palestinian NGOs.

Interestingly, even former ambassadors who describe themselves as conservative, like Jenö Staehelin, have signed the appeal. However, it is evident that it is primarily left-leaning individuals who criticize Cassis. One of them is former ambassador and later SP National Councillor Tim Guldimann. “The Federal Council is cowardly,” Guldimann says.

The Israeli government continues to expand illegal settlements in the West Bank. The “far-right Finance Minister” Bezalel Smotrich openly talks about the intention to completely destroy Gaza, confine the Palestinian population to a few square kilometers, and force them to permanently leave the Gaza Strip. “And what is heard from Bern about this?” Guldimann questions.

In recent weeks, the Federal Council has reiterated several times that the Israeli government must ensure the supply of the population and immediate, unhindered access of humanitarian aid to all those in need. Additionally, the Israeli Ambassador in Bern was recently summoned.

While the majority of employees in the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs may agree with Guldimann, there are also employees who find these “interjections from the sidelines and retirement” counterproductive. In the end, they are neither activists nor politicians but civil servants who must implement the policies set by the government, states a diplomatic corps member. It also raises the question of what sharper criticism would achieve. Ambassador Monika Schmutz Kirgöz recently told “Sonntags-Blick” that Switzerland achieves more with calm action than with loudspeakers.

This view is likely shared by the majority of the parliament. In late May, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Council of States met. Reportedly, some left-wing committee members wanted a pointed criticism from Cassis but failed to do so. The committee’s communication later stated that they had addressed the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza. They acknowledged the efforts of the Foreign Department to remind Israel of its obligations as an occupying power.