I sent this letter to the Jerusalem Post in June 1997 and it was partially published the following 19th of July. A few months later I sent a similar letter to the Italian speaking press of Switzerland, signed by 32 people.

 

Switzerland’s sin against the Jews

Letter to the editor of the Jerusalem Post

 

"Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God." This is the call of God in Isaiah 40:1, and we understand that it is in favor of Israel.

What can I say as a Swiss citizen, after learning what we have done against the Jews during World War 2 and even before in the course of our history?

I can’t do anything but bow and humble myself before God and men and ask the Lord and the Jewish people for mercy and forgiveness for the great sins of my nation.

I will never be able to bring back to life the many thousands who tried to enter Switzerland to find a safe haven but were returned to Germany or her allies – and most of them died in the concentration camps. Nor am I am able to return what belonged to them to the great number of Jews whose gold entered my nation.

The only thing I can do is to admit and confess that my nation has sinned by refusing to save people whose lives were in danger, by looking on without intervening and by profiting from a people’s disgrace. These deeds afflict me – even more today, after we all clearly know the facts. I ask forgiveness for the many Swiss who still refuse to take their responsibility and act accordingly, and who hold antisemitic thoughts in their hearts. I also ask forgiveness for those politicians who refuse to acknowledge the facts and expressed harsh and offensive words against the Jews.

It is strange, because Switzerland has a cross in it’s flag; that cross symbolizes it’s Christian heritage. Yeshua was a Jew, and so was his mother Myriam. Our nation and the whole Christian world have a debt towards the Jews and they will always be in debt, because God revealed Himself through them and the Scriptures come exclusively from them.

The Faithful God will again send people from Israel to declare His glory among the nations (Isaiah 66:19); and Zechariah tells us that in the future "every one that is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah14:16).

What we did against Israel, we did against God: "He who touches you touches the pupil of His eye" (Zechariah 2:8). The sin against Israel is only one of our many. If my nation does not repent it will call upon itself the judgment of the Lord.

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Published on the web in July 1998

Sandro Ribi
6853 Ligornetto, Switzerland
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