Une coalition antiterroriste sous l’égide d’un pays neutre: la réponse suisse au terrorisme palestinien, 1969-1970

In 1969, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) carried out an attack at Zurich Kloten Airport. The Swiss government was thus confronted with international terrorism for the first time. In September 1970, the PFLP struck again and undertook several simultaneous airplane hijackings around the world. This large-scale terrorist attack, later known as “Skyjack Sunday,” involved several countries and a total of 310 passengers. This article analyzes the Swiss decision-makers’ responses to both attacks, the development of a counterterrorist strategy, and its implications for Swiss neutrality. More precisely, this article traces the Swiss government’s decision to abandon considerations of neutrality by siding with the Western bloc in the global Cold War.