Communications

The DDS' Analysis on the «Years of Terror»

The Diplomatic Documents of Switzerland (DDS) have analysed the question of Palestinian terrorism against targets in Switzerland in 1969/70 and its consequences as part of their regular research during the last few years. Consequently, numerous documents have been published in the database Dodis since 2012 (cf. A Guide to the «Years of Terror»).

 

Controversy about a «secret agreement»

Following the controversy initiated by Marcel Gyr and the NZZ about a «secret agreement», that federal councillor Graber supposedly concluded with the PLO in September 1970, several representatives of the media asked the research group for an assessment (cf. Switzerland and the PLO, article only available in German and French).

Statements systematically verified

As a result, the DDS re-examined the archival records, they had already consulted before. They thereby searched for indications, that could prove or disprove the thesis of the «secret deal». They systematically screened, as far as the sources permitted, Gyr's statements in his publication «Terrorjahre», assed their plausibility and put them into their historical context.

Taking stock in the SZG 66/1 (2016)

This analysis will be published in German only in the latest issue of the Swiss History Review (SZG 66, vol. 1, p. 1–24). The DDS hope to thereby contribute to the clarification of the current research debate. You can download the preprint here.

29. 03. 2016