Swiss Parliament
Swiss ParliamentiStock

Switzerland's parliament on Tuesday took the rare step of voting to ban Hezbollah, Reuters reported, in a decision diverging from the country's long-standing tradition of neutrality and fostering dialogue for international mediation.

Proponents of the ban, which was endorsed by the lower house following the approval from the upper house last week, argued that Hezbollah poses a significant threat to global security, necessitating Switzerland's firm stance against terrorism.

The Swiss government has expressed opposition to the ban. Speaking during the debate in parliament, Justice Minister Beat Jans said, "If Switzerland now moves to ban such organizations with special laws, we must ask ourselves where and how the boundaries are drawn."

The vote in the lower house resulted in 126 votes in favor of banning Hezbollah, with 20 votes against and 41 abstentions.

Advocates for the ban from the security policy committee maintained that Switzerland's role as a mediator would not be compromised due to a clause specifically allowing for peace negotiations and humanitarian aid efforts to continue.

This legislative action comes on the heels of Switzerland's recent decision to outlaw Hamas due to the group's attacks in Israel on October 7, 2023.

Previously, Switzerland had only prohibited Al-Qaeda and Islamic State (ISIS), both listed by the United Nations as terrorist organizations.

In recent years, several countries in the world have blacklisted Hezbollah.

In March of 2019, the British government designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

In November of 2020, Slovenia joined the list of countries to blacklist Hezbollah.

Also that year, Germany issued a federal order outlawing Hezbollah in the country, and also took enforcement measures under the provisions of the order.

In 2021, the Liguria Regional Council in Italy designated Hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist organization.

Later that year, Australia listed all of Hezbollah as a "terrorist organization", extending an existing ban on the group’s military wing to the entire organization.