Criticism of the Israeli army’s actions in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon is particularly widespread in Europe.Image: Anadolu
interview
Tibor Schlosser, the Israeli ambassador to Switzerland, defends the ground offensive in Lebanon. He explains why the war against Iran was a success for his country and why, despite all odds, Israelis are among the “happiest people in the world.”
June 4, 2026, 10:55 p.mJune 4, 2026, 10:55 p.m
Jürg Ackermann / ch media
Tibor Schlosser welcomes people to the Israeli Embassy in Bern. He has been working in Switzerland for nine months. It is said to be the last stop in a long diplomatic career. In Tibor Schlosser’s office, there is a portrait of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu next to the Israeli flag.
Tibor Schlosser, you represented Israel in Rome and Berlin and are now in Bern. Isn’t it a bit boring here?
Tibor Schlosser: No, not at all. Believe me: as an ambassador to Israel you will never get bored. I really wanted to return to Switzerland after working in Geneva as a deputy ambassador to international organizations 20 years ago. I really appreciate your country.
Why?
I come from a kibbutz myself. There is also a form of direct democracy there – similar to the rural communities in Appenzell or Glarus, where people come together and make decisions together. This tradition is close to my heart. I also value Switzerland as a neutral country. What worries me, however, is the increasing number of anti-Semitic incidents in Switzerland.
Your government’s policies also help to ensure that you don’t get bored as an ambassador. In Europe in particular, the criticism is sometimes severe, particularly regarding the ground offensive in Lebanon.
Everyone always talks about Lebanon, but hardly anyone talks about our northern border. We intervened militarily in Lebanon because we have villages and towns that have been repeatedly shelled by Hezbollah for years. Sometimes with hundreds of rockets and drones every day. Hezbollah is the long arm of Iran that wants to prevent any agreement between Israel and Lebanon. That’s why this is not a war against Lebanon, but a fight against Hezbollah.
A ceasefire was actually agreed upon?
What should a democratic government do when its own people are constantly in danger? Just look at Israeli television. Many people there have long been asking themselves why we don’t take more decisive action against Hezbollah. If Hezbollah handed over its weapons to the Lebanese army, peace could reign tomorrow.
With the military actions in Lebanon, Israel is also torpedoing a possible peace agreement between Iran and the USA. They risk that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed – with fatal consequences for world trade.
Iran is responsible for blocking the Strait of Hormuz. For us, this is about existential questions and not primarily about whether the price of gasoline will rise, although that is understandably a concern here in Europe.
There is also currently criticism of settlement construction in the West Bank, which is being pushed forward more intensively than ever before. Why is Israel doing this?
Israelis want peace. But unless our neighbors treat us with a peaceful spirit, we do not feel safe. And security always comes first in Israel. We don’t have a second chance. If we lost a war, we would be finished.
Does this justify the settler policy, which contributes nothing to peace? Especially when extremist settlers set fire to olive trees or destroy Palestinian houses.
I condemn these acts of individual extremists unequivocally. Prime Minister Netanyahu has also made a clear statement on this. Anyone who commits such crimes is a criminal and belongs in prison. However, one should not equate the actions of a few with the vast majority of settlers. Most are peaceful people.
According to the international community, the Israeli settlements built in the West Bank violate international law.
From our point of view, building settlements is not illegal. Judea and Samaria are home to places central to Jewish history and identity. The idea that these areas should be completely free of Jews is unacceptable to us. Furthermore, there has never been a sovereign Palestinian state there. The final status can only be clarified through negotiations between the parties involved.
Does that mean you are ruling out a two-state solution? That would be a path to a possible peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
The principle of the two-state solution was accepted by Israeli politicians in the 1990s. At that time, Arafat was offered a compromise. But Arafat wanted more and initiated the bloody Intifada with suicide attacks. For years, people have been killed indiscriminately in Israel – in restaurants, buses or clubs. Today, many no longer believe that a two-state solution can guarantee Israel’s security. This feeling of uncertainty has continued to grow, especially since October 7, 2023. We are still in a phase of coping with trauma. The resumption of negotiations will probably have to wait a while.
Do you still believe that there will ever be peace in the Middle East?
If I didn’t believe in it, I would be in the wrong job. But we must also recognize the serious will for peace on the other side. Anti-Semitic sentiments are still being stirred up in schools in the West Bank. In addition, there is the “pay for slay” principle, in which the Palestinian Authority financially supports convicted terrorists; the amount of payments increases the more people are killed. With such an attitude it is difficult to imagine peace. Yes, we are not white sheep. But we have repeatedly tried to find compromises and move negotiations forward. To assume that we have no interest in peace is absurd.
Tibor Schlosser
Since joining the Israeli Foreign Ministry in 1989, Tibor Schlosser has pursued a long diplomatic career. It took him to, among other places, Berlin, Rome and the Pacific Islands. He has now been Israel’s ambassador to Switzerland for nine months. Schlosser is married and has six adult children. He speaks seven languages, including three Swiss national languages: French, Italian and German. He grew up on Kibbutz Beit Guvrin and in the city of Rehovot. He later studied philosophy and political science in Jerusalem and Haifa.
Image: keystone
But isn’t that cynical considering the 70,000 to 100,000 Palestinians who died in the Gaza war?
Israel did not start this war. The trigger was the terrible Hamas massacre on October 7th, in which hundreds of women, children and other civilians were murdered and 252 people were kidnapped as hostages. Immeasurable suffering was inflicted on the hostages and murdered people, as well as their families. We had to respond to such an attack.
But did the answer have to be so harsh? Tens of thousands of civilians died in this war.
When innocent civilians die, it is always tragic – both in Israel and in the Gaza Strip. However, responsibility for these deaths lies with Hamas. It has used its own population as a protective shield. For them, the suffering of the civilian population was part of their strategy and at the same time a means of spreading the image of a particularly cruel Israel. If Hamas had released the hostages earlier, the war would probably have ended much sooner.
Why did so many people have to die?
This was an asymmetrical war: on the one hand, a democratic state that abides by international law, on the other, a terrorist organization that deliberately misuses international law as a weapon of war. What should an Israeli soldier do when someone approaches and he cannot be sure whether he is a civilian or a Hamas fighter? The terrorists were often not recognizable as such. Hamas uses schools, hospitals and mosques for military purposes and from there deliberately attacks our civilian population, causing these institutions to lose their protected status under international humanitarian law. At the same time, it should not be forgotten that among the tens of thousands of dead there were also many Hamas fighters.
After the Gaza war came the war against Iran. Was it a success for Israel?
Iran has posed an existential threat to us for dozens of years. There is no other country that openly advocates the destruction of another state. Iran has also produced tens of thousands of missiles. And from what we know, the country may have been just weeks away from creating the critical conditions needed to build an atomic bomb. If the relevant material had been secured deep enough underground, it would hardly have been possible to destroy it later. That’s why this military action took place. Today Iran is significantly weakened militarily. Its navy and air defenses have suffered heavy losses, and its air force has also been significantly compromised.
But there are still many Iranian missiles.
Yes, Iran still has numerous missiles, some of which are stored deep underground. There are also around 440 kilograms of enriched uranium in Iran. This material must be removed from the country. In our view, this must be a central part of an agreement between Iran and the USA. Otherwise, Iran will remain an existential threat – not just for us, but for the entire region. Nevertheless, the strategic situation has improved significantly since this war.
To what extent?
Hamas no longer poses the same threat to us as it did before October 7th. The terrorist organization has been significantly weakened and has little support among its own population. In Lebanon, most political forces and a large part of the population are critical of Hezbollah. This wasn’t the case to this extent before. Syria’s new president also sees Iran and Hezbollah as opponents rather than Israel. The same applies to the Gulf states.
And yet the war was only a partial success. The old regime in Iran is still in power.
Yes, we hoped to create conditions under which the population could rise up against the regime and bring about political change. But tragically, the Revolutionary Guards have wreaked havoc on their own population. The Revolutionary Guards know that if they lose power, they themselves would have to fear for their survival. That’s why they do everything they can to secure their rule.
Finally, explain to us why the people of Israel are among the happiest in the world according to the World Happiness Report. Despite all the dangers.
This is a very interesting question. In fact, we face many challenges and threats. Our neighbors are not Austria, Liechtenstein or France. We are the only democracy in the region. That brings people together. Despite all political differences, many people feel a meaning in life and know that the country must assert itself. Nothing is given to us. Added to this is our over 3,000-year history. It gives us a long look back and at the same time forward. And let me say something else.
Please.
I consider it a miracle that 80 years after the Holocaust, one of the most developed states in the world emerged in Israel. And not just in the military sector, but also in science, technology and business with a comparatively low national debt. Despite all adversities, we are an innovative start-up nation. Israel is not just about the conflicts and difficult geopolitical situation you see in the news. There is also this courage to innovate, the willingness to take risks and the determination not to lose faith in peace and the future despite everything.