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“Follow the money”: The trail of money should lead to the perpetrator, is the slogan that is often used. For the fight against terrorism, this means: turning off the money supply to organizations.
The everyday lives of police officers and prosecutors are far more complicated. Because they have to prove that, for example, a donation knowingly ended up with a terrorist organization. Cash often goes from one hand to the next, crosses national borders, is exchanged, perhaps paid into an ostensibly humanitarian organization, or transferred several times. Terrorist organizations are increasingly being financed through cryptocurrencies.
Humanitarian aid on site should remain unpunished
Swiss investigators are now also tasked with combating possible payments to the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas. This is what is envisaged in the draft law presented today to ban Hamas.
Humanitarian aid on site should remain unpunished, even if Hamas indirectly benefits from it, as the explanatory report shows. The idea behind it is that certain international organizations that work in areas controlled by terrorist militias would otherwise run the risk of committing a criminal offense.
At the same time, terrorism experts have been reporting for some time that Hamas generates part of its financial resources through fundraising abroad. Not only since the massacres of October 7, 2023 in Israel have individual aid organizations suspected that some donations end up with Hamas.
Hamas funds in Switzerland? The federal government is conducting an investigation
In Switzerland, the new law should initially help to create a picture of the situation: which activities supporting Hamas, including propaganda and recruitment, should be determined, said the director of the Federal Office of Police Fedpol, Nicoletta della Valle. What is known: Fedpol and the Federal Prosecutor’s Office are conducting investigations into suspected financing activities in Switzerland. The authorities did not want to say today where the criminal proceedings stand.
Financing is likely to be the sticking point. According to Justice Minister Beat Jans, the Money Laundering Reporting Office (MROS) plays a central role; the prohibition law creates clarity and legal certainty. However, only part of the money that ends up with Hamas is likely to go through traditional financial channels such as banks. It will therefore be crucial to find the often convoluted ways of making money.
It takes political will
This requires know-how and personnel. It already seems clear today: the intelligence service, Fedpol, MROS, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office – none of them are complaining Too little work.
If the law is to actually have the desired effect, it needs even more: political will. So far, there has rarely been such agreement in Federal Bern after October 7th. Suddenly no one wanted to oppose a Hamas ban anymore. But now it’s about the details. Politically sensitive but crucial details such as mostly well-intentioned but at best misused fundraising collections. And that will show whether you really want to follow the money trail.