Singer defends attack on Swiss neutrality (Don't you just love equivocation...)

The chairman of the World Jewish Congress is refusing to take back his criticism of Swiss neutrality during the Second World War, which he has called a “crime”.

However, Israel Singer said he could see that Switzerland was faced with no other choice at the time.

In an interview with the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper, Singer maintained that the Swiss had still not fully learned their lesson from history.

“If they had, they would not have been so enraged [by my initial comments],” he said.

Singer criticised Swiss neutrality during a speech at a memorial event in Berlin last month to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp.

The same criticism was contained in an article he wrote for the Financial Times.

Singer told the NZZ am Sonntag that it was thanks to his Swiss wife that he knew about Switzerland during the war.

“Switzerland was not involved in the war like other countries in Europe – it cannot be compared to the culprits or the collaborators,” he said.

However, he added that the Swiss should not be under any illusions about their wartime past.

“It was not the case that every Swiss stood bravely at the border, bearing arms and trying to ensure that the Nazis did not get in."

Singer's main complaint was that not enough had been done to make sure that the experiences drawn from this period in history were engraved on the Swiss conscience.

He cited the example of Carl Lutz, a Swiss diplomat in Hungary, who helped save the lives of thousands of Hungarian Jews during the 1940s.

Lutz worked with the Swede, Raoul Wallenberg, who was similarly responsible for saving Jews from the gas chamber.

“Why is Lutz not one of the greatest heroes of Switzerland? In Sweden, every child knows Wallenberg – the Swiss should also learn to recognise their true heroes,” said Singer.

While Singer agreed that the 2002 Bergier report, covering Switzerland’s wartime role, had shown that the country had faced up to its past, he maintained that Swiss refugee policy at the time helped the Nazis commit atrocities.

Examples included the “J” stamped in passports belonging to Jews and the turning away of refugees at the borders.

However, Singer said he could understand that his comments made in January had caused waves in Switzerland.

“Switzerland is a small country and small countries are always more sensitive, just like the Jews – they are overcautious when it comes to their reputation."

Last November, the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SFJC) called for an internal audit of the World Jewish Congress's Geneva office.

The dispute centred on $1.2 million (SFr1.4 million), which Singer was alleged to have deposited in a Swiss bank account, before transferring it to accounts in London and New York.

The chair of the world’s main Jewish organisation revealed to the NZZ am Sonntag that an internal audit had been carried out and that no irregularities had been unearthed.

“The money always belonged to [our organisation] and those who claim that the Geneva account was a secret one are liars,” maintained Singer.

There was media speculation in January that Singer’s attack on Swiss neutrality was a response to the SFJC’s desire to investigate the disputed bank account.

I agree that due to the unfortunate fact of geography, Switzerland had no choice during the second world war, but to sort of kow-tow to the Germans.

However, I find it off-putting that the Swiss tend to see their "neutrality" as a virtue, when in fact like Sweden, it is a gift of geography.

"Virtue" is a voluntary characteristic; it is not a virtue when it has been forced upon one by other circumstances and conditions.

i am a swiss born Jew and while it is true that switzerland had to kow-tow for a while, after Kursk the outcome of the war was over and the Swiss as well as the scum swedes didn't have to kow-tow any more. in fact the swedes were worse, selling hitler his needed iron ore til the end, bartered for with Jewish gold- and don't let anyone tell you they didn't know.
Swedens wealth came from jewish gold that paid for the iron that built the wermachts waepons that killed our soldiers in the last years of the war.

But sir, I must not have explained myself correctly.

I am not "panning" the Swiss for having benefited from their "neutrality" during the second world war; I am excoriating the Swiss for thinking themselves virtuous because they were "neutral," when in fact they had no choice, and when one has no choice in a matter, it is not a virtue.

The same as pertains to the Swedes, who also by accident of geography, remained "neutral," although profitably so.

As an American-born American, I have a "thing" about people claiming virtues, when in fact they are no better, no worse, than the rest of us.

If the Swiss had settled in Jerusalem, and the Swedes in the Khyber Pass, I have no doubt they would be just as warlike, just as vicious, just as rapacious, as the rest of us.

By the way, friend--I mean that sincerely, sir--this might not be in your line of interests, but since you do not seem to like the Swedes, well, there are many on the "Norway ping list" in Free Republic who are also not fans of Sweden.

The Norwegians on this "ping list" really have some hard feelings towards their cousins to the east of them.

If you would like, I could put you on the "Norway ping list," ensuring that you get all the latest news from Norway without having to look for it, merely by clicking the word PINGS on the upper right-hand corner of the screen in Free Republic.

"I am excoriating the Swiss for thinking themselves virtuous because they were "neutral," when in fact they had no choice, and when one has no choice in a matter, it is not a virtue."

You are kidding right? They could have fought for Hitler if they had wanted to. What they could not have done is fight against him. Sandwiched between Germany, Austria, and Italy, that would have been national suicide.

"The chairman of the World Jewish Congress is refusing to take back his criticism of Swiss neutrality during the Second World War, which he has called a “crime”."

Then I guess the US, Israel, and the rest of the world are guilty of the same "crime" because they didn't try to stop genocide from occurring in Ukraine, China, Cambodia, Rwanda, Sudan, etc. etc. etc.

It isn't a brave thing to do to watch your neighbors die without trying to help, but the Swiss had an excuse. A loaded gun was pointed at their heads. The world has no such excuse now in allowing the genocide to continue in Sudan, Zimbabwe, and Congo.

To anyone who wants to know what really went on in Switzerland during WWII, I would highly recommend the following books:

Shot From the Sky, American POWs in Switzerland - Cathryn Prince
Hitler's Secret Ally, Switzerland - Don Waters
Black Hole of Wauwilermoos - Dan Culler
Haven, Heaven and Hell - Roy J. Thomas
Strangers in a Strange Land - Hans-Heiri Stapfer/Gino Kunzle

My uncle was a young airman in WWII who died while being held as a POW in a Swiss internee camp. The ICRC did not do an investigation into my uncle's death as it appears, from some of my readings, that they did not really believe that POWs held in a "neutral" country like Switzerland were necessarily covered by the Geneva Convention. I have been investigating his death for 4 years, and in doing so, have learned more about the myth of Switzerland's neutrality in the war. These books have really opened my eyes to what was going on in Switzerland during the war. I especially recommend "Black Hole of Wauwilermoos" by Dan Culler. Mr. Culler was a young airman interned in Switzerland and was the first American put in the hellish prison called Wauwilermoos - his only crime, trying to escape from Switzerland. His story is absolutely unbelievable, and I have provided a link to a review on Amazon. I had the priviledge and honor of receiving a signed copy of the book from Mr. Culler. He is a remarkable man who still suffers from his experiences in Switzerland. No one can read this book and not be profoundly moved - and angered - and I highly recommend it.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/188777601X/qid=1108400228/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i2_xgl14/103-6488464-2019023?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

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