Anti-Semitism in Switzerland

In 1620, Jews were expelled from Swiss cities, and since 1776 they were allowed to live exclusively in two villages - Lengnau and Endingen (the latter is called today the canton of Argau). At the end of the 18th century, 553 Jews in these villages represented almost the entire Jewish population of Switzerland. An important source telling about the situation of Swiss Jews in the 18th century was the Collection of Jewish Stories, written in 1768 by Johan Caspar Ulrich.

Beginning in 1603, Jews in the Sarb Valley community are buried on the small island of the Rhine River, the so-called Judenäule (“Jewish Island”), which was rented by the Jewish community. Since the island was repeatedly flooded and wiped off the face of the earth, in 1750 the Jews of the Sarb Valley asked the Tagzatzung (a periodically convened meeting of representatives of the cantons) to open a cemetery in the immediate vicinity of their communities in the Sarb Valley. Once a year, representatives of the communal Hevra Kadisha (hevra kadishah - Aramaic; חברא קדישא - Hebrew, translated as “holy society”) visited the graves on the island. In 1750, the Tagzatzung “allowed” the Jewish communities of Endingen and Lengnau to acquire woodland on a small hill between Endingen and Lengnau for the Endingen cemetery. The cemetery expanded several times; by agreement of 1859, two fifths of the cemetery belong to the Jewish community of Lengnau, and three fifths of the Jewish community of Endingen. ^{[4] [5]}

In accordance with the Tagzatzung decision in 1678, Jews were allowed to settle in the Sarb Valley. After 1776, they were given a limited opportunity to live only in Endingen and Lengnau. This immigration slowly but steadily changed the appearance of both villages. There was no Christian church built in the village of Endingen, there was only a Jewish synagogue. Local Christians went to church in neighboring villages. Jewish and Christian families often lived under the same roof.

Jews were allowed to master only certain professions (for example, to engage in trade). The buildings in these villages were built with two separate entrances - one for the Jews and the other for the Christians. ^[6] Jews were supposed to buy letters of “protection and security” from the authorities. ^[7]

In 1798, the army of Napoleon I invaded Switzerland, the Helvetic Republic was created. The republic attempted to modernize and centralize the Swiss Confederation. Creating a new liberal state, the Swiss reformers tried to force the emancipation of Jews in the new central Swiss Parliament in Argau. When their actions failed, they tried to win over the French. The changes proposed by the new parliament of the republic were not supported by the majority of the Swiss, the issue of the liberation of the Jews became the subject of another debate between the old order and the new government.

In 1802, the population rebelled, his anger was directed against the Jews. During the so-called Zwetschgenkrieg ("Plum War"), the crowd began to plunder the Jewish villages of Endingen and Lengnau. At the same time, other riots, such as Stecklikrieg, distracted the French army from the main tasks of the emperor. Napoleon lacked troops, he needed to establish peace in Switzerland, he intended to create Swiss regiments for his campaigns. In search of a peaceful resolution to the uprising in 1803, he issued the Mediation Act. The mediation law has become a compromise between the old regime and the republic. One of the points of the Law stated that no rights would be granted to Jews in the future. ^[eight]

By the middle of the 19th century, about 2,000 inhabitants lived in the village of Endingen, about half of them were Jews and as many Christians. For comparison, approximately 1,500 residents lived in Baden at that time. ^[6]

In the Jewish villages there was self-government, had its own school. In 1862, a Jewish community appeared in Zurich, in 1884 a synagogue was built in Levenstrasse Road. ^[9] In 1879, the Jewish village of New Endingen appeared, which remained independent until 1983, when it merged with the village of Endingen. ^[7]

The right to free settlement was not returned to the Jews by the Swiss Constitution of 1848. In 1874, the Constitution was revised. England, France and the United States put pressure on Switzerland. Section 49 of the Constitution of 1874, guaranteeing freedom of religion, changed the situation. As a result, all citizens of the country received equal rights. ^[ten]

In 1876, Jews were completely equalized in civil rights. By 1920, most Jews had left the Sarb Valley. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Jews from Germany and other countries of Eastern Europe took the opportunity to move to Switzerland. By 1920, the number of Jews in the country reached its peak - 21,000 people (0.5% of the total population), a number that has remained almost constant since then.

The language of the Jews living in the Sarb Valley is the western dialect of Yiddish, traces of which are still found in the region. Western Yiddish incorporates high German dialects, Hebrew and Aramaic words, contains hints of Romance languages, differs from Eastern Yiddish, in which there are much fewer Slavic borrowings. Unlike Eastern Yiddish, which is owned by many Polish, Ukrainian and American Jews, Western Yiddish has almost disappeared. Today, there are some, mostly elderly Jews, who know the dialect of the Jews of the Sarb Valley. The sound archives at the University of Zurich began to record the speech of those who remember what remains of the dialect.

Despite the provision of complete religious equality in 1874, certain religious requirements were not allowed, especially for ritual slaughter of livestock (observance of kosher). In 1886, organizations opposed to animal cruelty demanded that the government prohibit kosher slaughter in accordance with the Jewish religion. In 1893, their efforts succeeded in securing from the government recognition that kashrut was illegal in Switzerland. To this day, no change has been made to the Swiss Constitution. ^{[10] The} Jewish community of Switzerland fought for decades for the right to kosher slaughter. In 2002, the Swiss government allowed Jews to import kosher meat, but the Jewish community was not satisfied with such a compromise. Alfred Donat (President of the Federation of Jewish Communities of Switzerland) stated that the law is "discriminatory and violates human rights and religious freedom." ^[10] One of the opponents of the demands of the Jewish community, Erwin Kessler (president of the section of the Society for the Protection of Animals) said: "either become vegetarians, or leave Switzerland." According to some, the true motive for his words was the desire to limit Jewish immigration. ^[eleven]

During the Holocaust, Switzerland granted asylum to approximately 23,000 Jews. On the other hand, the government decided to remain neutral and only be a transit country. Jewish refugees did not receive the same treatment as refugees of other nations and religions, they received less financial support. The Swiss government even persuaded Germany to print “J” on a Jewish passport. This made it easier for the country's leadership to make a selection and subsequently refuse Jewish refugees. ^[10] Thousands of Jews tried to escape to Switzerland from Austria after Anschluss (March 1938), many tried to avoid expulsion from France, the Netherlands, and Belgium (1942-1943). However, the Swiss borders were completely closed to Jewish refugees. ^[10] During World War II, 25,000 Jews took refuge in Switzerland, and approximately 30,000 Jews were refused. Most Jewish refugees left the country before 1953. ^[eleven]

At first, Switzerland maintained good relations with Israel, while maintaining its neutrality. This support intensified after the Arab terrorist attack in 1969 on an El Al plane in Zurich and an act of sabotage on a Swissair plane bound for Israel in 1970. However, according to the Steven Roth Institute for the Study of Contemporary Anti-Semitism and Racism, in Switzerland, as in all other European countries, anti-Semitism and anti-Israeli sentiments have been constantly growing since 2000. ^[10] Switzerland’s Middle East policy is causing tensions with Israel and the concern of Jews around the world. For example, a Swiss company has signed a natural gas supply agreement with Iran, the Swiss foreign minister said this move would annoy Washington, as the contract could isolate Tehran with its controversial nuclear plans. ^[12]

In 1998, according to studies by the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune, anti-Semitism spread in Switzerland after studying the country's actions during World War II. Studies have shown that the prohibitions on openly expressing racist views were forgotten as soon as the question arose of Switzerland's obligation to pay compensation to Holocaust victims. The dispute over assets irretrievably lost during World War II led to a comprehensive study of the role of Switzerland during the war. ^{[13] [14]}

Studies conducted since 2014 have led to the conclusion that more than one in four Swiss residents is anti-Semitic, making the Swiss population one of the most anti-Semitic in Western Europe. ^[15] One of the possible reasons for the increase in anti-Semitism in Switzerland in 2014 is the conflict between Israel and the Gaza Strip in 2014, information about which was often provided incorrectly, facts that testify in favor of Israel were ignored, and only one opinion was taken into account. According to the CAFD (Forum for the Coordination of the Fight against Anti-Semitism) report, a significant increase in the number of anti-Semitic incidents in Switzerland was observed during this period. According to the Federation of Jewish Communities of Switzerland, in early July, during the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip, the number of incidents turned out to be twice as many as before during the whole year. ^[16] The report concluded that the current situation, more than other wars in the Middle East, provokes an extreme reaction from the Swiss population. In 15 cases of anti-Semitism, complaints were filed with the police. Statements appearing in letters or on Facebook have become much more violent. The Federation also reported insults and threats against Jewish citizens. ^{[16] The} European Jewish Congress confirmed statistics on the “huge increase in the number of anti-Semitic incidents in Switzerland”, citing another study done by the Internecine Coordination against Anti-Semitism and Defamation - CICAD. ^{[17] [18]} So, there was an incident when a sixty-year-old man going to his car, in front of his wife and four children, began to beat and shout anti-Semitic curses, including “Juden raus” (Jews, get out) in German. ^[nineteen]