Pierre Auber was appointed Monday to the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs. He is a member of the Swiss Socialist Party and is president of the Swiss-Israel Friendship Association. A lawyer by profession, Auber took an active interest in Israel and the Jews after he learned about the Holocaust.
He was born in the town La Chaux de Fond where there is an active Jewish community, and many of his childhood friends were Jews. Auber also studied Jewish history and visited Israel several times. Some members of his own party opposed his appointment, stating that his ties with Israel disqualified him from being in charge of foreign relations for neutral Switzerland. In spite of these attacks Auber was elected by a large majority.
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