Switzerland has committed 150 million francs in humanitarian aid for Palestine since October 2023, hosts in Geneva the Geneva Conventions and the European headquarters of UNRWA, and contributes approximately 20 million francs per year to the budget of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. Yet the Confederation does not recognize the State of Palestine. A look at a complex relationship, between first-rate humanitarian engagement and assumed diplomatic neutrality.
Switzerland occupies a unique place in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — not as a political actor, but as the guardian of international humanitarian law and a major funder of aid to Palestinians. Understanding this relationship means understanding why millions of Swiss people mobilize for Palestine while living in a country that officially refuses to recognize it.
Geneva, world capital of the law that protects Palestinians
It was in Geneva, in 1949, that the four Geneva Conventions were signed — the foundation of international humanitarian law that governs armed conflicts and protects civilian populations. The Fourth Geneva Convention, relating to the protection of civilians in times of war, is precisely the one the entire world invokes to condemn Israeli bombardments of Gaza and settlements in the West Bank. By signing and ratifying these conventions, Israel itself committed to respecting them — and it is Switzerland, as depositary of these texts, that serves as their institutional guardian.
That is not all. Geneva also hosts the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), which has operated in the occupied Palestinian territories for decades. It houses the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs of the United Nations (OCHA), which coordinates aid to Gaza. It is home to the UN Human Rights Council, where Palestine has had observer status since 2012 and where Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese presented in July 2025 her landmark report on companies complicit in genocide. Geneva is, in the literal sense, the world capital of the law supposed to protect Palestinians.
It is also in Geneva that the European headquarters of UNRWA is located — the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, founded in 1949 after the Nakba, the forced exodus of 750,000 Palestinians following the creation of the State of Israel. UNRWA today manages camps, schools and hospitals for the 5.9 million registered Palestinian refugees worldwide — in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The presence of its European headquarters in Geneva is not coincidental: it is the city that, symbolically and institutionally, carries the memory of international law that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict tests every day. To understand the founding event of this tragedy, read our article on the Nakba: history, meaning and memory of a people.
What is Switzerland's humanitarian aid to Palestine?
Switzerland is one of the most consistent funders of Palestinian humanitarian aid. According to official figures from the Federal Council, the Confederation contributes approximately 20 million Swiss francs per year to the ordinary budget of UNRWA. For the period 2023-2024, this contribution totaled 40 million francs.
Since the attacks of October 7, 2023 and the start of the war in Gaza, Switzerland has significantly increased its engagement. In May 2024, the Federal Council released an additional 10 million francs in response to UNRWA's emergency appeal, facing the imminent risk of famine for the 2.3 million inhabitants of Gaza. In May 2025, a new payment of 11 million francs was granted to UNRWA. In November 2025, the Federal Council allocated an additional 23 million francs to support the Gaza Peace Plan presented by the United States. In total, since October 2023, the Confederation has committed 150 million francs in humanitarian aid for Palestine — one of the highest amounts proportional to GDP among non-EU member countries.
This aid flows through several channels: UNRWA directly, the ICRC, OCHA, but also organizations established in Switzerland such as the Swiss Red Cross and several NGOs specializing in aid to populations in Gaza and the West Bank. The Federal Council has reaffirmed on several occasions that Israel is bound to respect the Geneva Conventions and to apply international humanitarian law.
Does Switzerland recognize the State of Palestine?
No — and this is where the central contradiction of the Swiss position lies. Despite its massive humanitarian engagement and its role as guardian of international law, the Confederation does not officially recognize the State of Palestine.
In 2024, the Swiss Parliament rejected a motion calling for recognition of Palestine by 131 votes to 61. Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis declared that "it was not the right moment". Switzerland also abstained during the vote on Palestine's application to join the UN. At the UN's high-level conference on the Middle East in July 2025, the Swiss ambassador summarized the official position: "The recognition of a Palestinian state must be part of the prospect of a lasting peace based on the two-state solution." In other words, Switzerland will only recognize Palestine after a comprehensive peace solution is in place — a condition its critics consider circular.
This position contrasts with that of many European countries that have recognized Palestine: Spain, Ireland, Norway and Slovenia in May 2024, France and the United Kingdom in September 2025. For an overview of states that diplomatically support Palestine, see our article on which countries support Palestine.
Switzerland nonetheless maintains relations with the Palestinian Authority since the signing of the first Oslo Accords in 1993, and has diplomatic representation in Ramallah. It also plays a role as a discreet mediator — its "good offices" — between the parties to the conflict, in the tradition of Swiss neutrality.
Swiss civil society and mobilization for Palestine
While the federal government maintains its official neutrality, Swiss civil society has strongly mobilized since October 2023. Demonstrations of several thousand people took place in Geneva, Bern, Zurich and Lausanne — among the largest in Europe relative to the number of inhabitants. In October 2023, more than 10,000 people marched in Bern to demand a ceasefire in Gaza. Swiss universities also saw student protest movements demanding divestment from institutional funds linked to Israel — at EPFL, UNIGE and UNIL in particular.
Switzerland also played a role in support of the Gaza Flotillas. Swiss activists participated in several humanitarian maritime expeditions attempting to break Israel's blockade of Gaza — a cause championed by solidarity organizations based in Geneva and Zurich. In parallel, Swiss collectives launched boycott campaigns targeting companies linked to Israel, in line with the international BDS movement.
The Palestinian flag and the keffieh are omnipresent in these mobilizations — symbols of solidarity that transcend generations and political affiliations, from the traditional left to Swiss Muslim communities, including increasingly engaged academic and cultural circles.
Nestlé, UBS, Credit Suisse: Swiss companies and the conflict
The question of economic ties between Swiss companies and Israel is a sensitive topic in Switzerland. Several major Swiss companies have been singled out by Palestinian rights defense organizations.
Nestlé, headquartered in Vevey, has been present in Israel for decades and appears on several BDS movement boycott lists due to its ties to the Israeli market and its investments in Israeli companies. UBS and Credit Suisse (now merged into UBS) have been criticized for their investments in arms companies supplying the Israeli army — Elbit Systems, Lockheed Martin, Boeing. Swiss shareholders and NGOs have filed motions at general meetings to demand transparency on these investments. ABB, the Swiss energy and automation giant, has operated in Israel since the 1990s and has been cited by the Who Profits collective for its ties to occupation infrastructure.
The BDS movement in Switzerland has launched campaigns targeting these companies, with varying success. For the complete list of companies linked to Israel, see our dossier which companies support Israel — and for alternatives, our article on pro-Palestine companies.
Wearing the keffieh in Switzerland: a symbol of resistance in Swiss streets
In Switzerland as throughout Europe, the Palestinian keffieh has become one of the most visible symbols of solidarity with Palestine. Worn at demonstrations, in universities, in the streets of Geneva and Zurich, it displays membership in a global movement of resistance. Unlike some countries where the keffieh has been banned in public spaces or schools, Switzerland has adopted no such restrictions — freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate are constitutionally guaranteed by the Federal Constitution of 1999.
The watermelon 🍉, symbol of Palestinian resistance that appeared after Israel's ban on the Palestinian flag in the 1960s-1970s — its colors reproducing those of the flag — is also very present at Swiss demonstrations. For the complete history of the keffieh, its origin, colors and deep significance, read our article The Palestinian keffieh: history, symbolism and significance of a universal symbol.
Boutique Palestine delivers to Switzerland with free shipping, as everywhere in the world. Discover our authentic Palestinian keffiyehs, our Palestinian flags, our Palestine bracelets — and our exclusive Switzerland Palestine World Cup 2026 jersey, delivered directly to you in Switzerland, free of charge.
How to act for Palestine from Switzerland?
There are many concrete ways to support Palestine from Switzerland. Demonstrate, sign petitions, support NGOs active in Gaza — the ICRC, Médecins Sans Frontières, UNRWA — buy authentic Palestinian products, participate in university and institutional divestment campaigns, write to your cantonal and federal representatives to ask for recognition of the State of Palestine. Every gesture, individual or collective, is part of an increasingly structured global movement.
For a complete guide of possible daily actions, read how to help Palestine. 🇵🇸🇨🇭
Sources
— Swiss Federal Council, official communiqué, 10 million CHF to UNRWA, May 2024.
— FDFA Switzerland, support for the Gaza Peace Plan, 23 million CHF, November 2025.
— FDFA / UNRWA, Swiss annual contribution of 20 million CHF.
— SWI swissinfo.ch, "Why Switzerland does not recognize Palestine as a state", September 2025.
— FDFA, Bilateral relations Switzerland–Occupied Palestinian Territory, updated September 2025.
— Peace Watch Switzerland, report on Swiss funding of UNRWA, October 2025.
— Who Profits, database of companies linked to the Israeli occupation. whoprofits.org
Your frequently asked questions about Switzerland and Palestine
Does Switzerland recognize the State of Palestine?
No. Switzerland does not officially recognize the State of Palestine. In 2024, the Swiss Parliament rejected a motion to this effect by 131 votes to 61. The official position of the Federal Council is that recognition must be part of a comprehensive two-state peace solution. Switzerland nevertheless maintains relations with the Palestinian Authority since 1993 and has diplomatic representation in Ramallah.
How much has Switzerland provided in humanitarian aid to Palestine since 2023?
According to official figures from the Federal Council (November 2025), Switzerland has committed 150 million francs in humanitarian aid for Palestine since October 2023. Before that, it already contributed 20 million francs per year to UNRWA's ordinary budget. It is one of the most significant humanitarian commitments among non-European Union member countries.
Why is Geneva important for the Palestinian cause?
Geneva is the depositary city of the Geneva Conventions (1949) — the international humanitarian law invoked to protect Palestinian civilians. It also hosts the ICRC, OCHA, the UN Human Rights Council and the European headquarters of UNRWA. Geneva is where much of the legal and humanitarian framework of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict plays out.
Can one wear the Palestinian keffieh in Switzerland?
Yes, without legal restriction. Switzerland has adopted no law prohibiting the wearing of the keffieh in public spaces. Freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate are constitutionally guaranteed. The keffieh is worn freely at demonstrations and in daily life in all Swiss cities.
Does Boutique Palestine deliver to Switzerland?
Yes, Boutique Palestine delivers to Switzerland with free shipping, as in all countries of the world thanks to our various warehouses. Delivery times are 5 to 8 business days. Keffiyehs, flags, jewelry, jerseys and Palestinian accessories: all our products are available for Switzerland.