
Switzerland’s government is preparing to ban public displays of the swastika and the Hitler salute as it moves to align with other countries in restricting the use of Nazi symbols, Bloomberg reported.
The initiative comes in response to a rise in antisemitism since the outbreak of Israel’s war against Hamas last year. According to a government report, incidents classified as “severe” increased by 68% in some regions of the country.
“Every single one of these occurrences contributes to shaking the sense of security, especially among the Jewish population in Switzerland,” the report stated.
To deter such actions, the government has proposed a fine of 200 francs for publicly displaying Nazi symbols. Additionally, officials plan to take further action by extending the ban to include other extremist and racist emblems.
Currently, Switzerland only punishes the use of Nazi symbols if it is accompanied by active promotion of the associated ideology. Merely displaying the symbols without that intent is not penalized. By targeting this legal gap, Switzerland seeks to match the stricter regulations that have been in place in many European countries for decades.
The proposal will now undergo a three-month consultation period, during which public stakeholders can provide input. Following this, the plan will be reviewed and voted on in parliament.
Recent incidents of antisemitism in Switzerland include a restaurant manager in the Swiss ski resort of Davos who was fined for refusing to rent winter sports equipment to Jews.
In March, a 50-year-old haredi man was stabbed by a 15-year-old in Zurich. The suspect had made a video claiming responsibility for the attack and voicing his allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) jihadist group.
Last year, the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities called on the government to monitor antisemitism and to enact new laws to limit hate speech. The call followed a troubling report showing that antisemitic attacks increased in Switzerland in 2022.