In light of the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, and driven by its sovereign commitment to the principle of Lebanon’s neutrality from surrounding conflicts, the Lebanese-Swiss Coordinating Committee (LSCC)—which brings together representatives of sovereign reform-oriented forces and active civil society organizations founded by members of the Lebanese diaspora in Switzerland, along with the Civil Impact Forum as its Lebanese advisory body—issued a statement simultaneously in Switzerland and Lebanon.

 

In its statement, the Committee affirmed that, “in response to the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, and while condemning all forms of violence, extremism, attacks on innocent civilians, vital civilian infrastructure, and sieges—all of which constitute violations of international law and international humanitarian law—we, the member organizations of the Lebanese-Swiss Coordinating Committee, look to Switzerland, based on its historic and active role in promoting regional security and peace through its policy of neutrality, to exert all necessary diplomatic efforts to pressure all parties involved in the conflict and prevent Lebanon from once again becoming a theater of war. The Lebanese people need nothing more than to remain neutral and protected from destructive risks.”

 

The Committee added: “Any significant escalation along the Lebanese-Israeli border, where tensions already appear to be rising—even beyond the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 1701—would further aggravate the volatile situation in the region, expose the Lebanese population and UNIFIL forces to catastrophic risks, and generate regional instability that may exceed the capacity of international law to contain. Preventing such a security deterioration is a shared Swiss-Lebanese interest.”

 

The Committee further emphasized that “Lebanon aspires to return to being a free, sovereign, and independent country governed by a just state that upholds its constitution, exercises full sovereignty over all its internationally recognized territory, abides by United Nations Security Council resolutions—particularly Resolution 1701—and respects the dignity and rights of the Lebanese people. Unfortunately, Lebanon’s sovereignty is violated, its independence undermined, and its people deprived of their will.”

 

The statement concluded by calling on “the Swiss government, given its support for the aspirations of the Lebanese people, to consider Lebanon’s neutrality as a foundational element in Lebanese-Swiss relations. This would open the way for strengthening cooperation based on freedom, justice, pluralism, respect for human rights, and the building of sustainable peace grounded in justice.”

 

Lebanese-Swiss Coordinating Committee (LSCC)

in coordination with the Lebanese Swiss Association (LSA)

Media Office

Bern, 27 October 2023.