On Tuesday, June 4, the Swiss House of Representatives (parliament) made a decision regarding the proposal by the Social Democratic Party to recognize the “state of Palestine.” The proposal was rejected by 131 deputies, with only 61 in favor of recognition of Palestine. Two deputies abstained from voting on the matter. It was reported by swissinfo.ch that only Social Democrats and Greens supported the recognition of Palestine.
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis stated that Switzerland continues to back a two-state solution, where both Israel and Palestine can coexist peacefully within recognized borders. However, the Federal Council, which makes decisions on foreign policy, does not believe that the time is right to formally recognize Palestine as a state. They continue to advocate for diplomacy and peace negotiations between the two parties.