Portugal “always under evaluation” regarding recognition of the State of Palestine – Current Affairs – SAPO.pt

“As for formal recognition, as for this formal solemn act, we are always under evaluation. And, therefore, we did not say that we will do it, but we also did not say that we will not do it”, declared the head of Portuguese diplomacy, Paulo Rangel, during a hearing in the parliamentary committee on European Affairs regarding the European Council of 21 and 22 March 2024 and the extraordinary European Council of 17 and 18 April.

The minister, questioned by Livre deputy Rui Tavares, highlighted on the other hand that the vote in favor of admitting Palestine as a full member of the United Nations general assembly “is a step of enormous international political significance”.

“And Portugal is there”, he highlighted, revealing that he suggested – and “at least two” countries accepted – to take this step, during a meeting of the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council, when the initiative by Spain, Ireland, Malta was being discussed. and Slovenia so that a group of States recognizes the State of Palestine.

Rangel defended the need to “give a clear signal to the Government of Israel that it is acting badly – not to say very badly – and in violation of International Law” and “to support the Palestinians”, following the Israeli offensive in the Strip Gaza, after attacks by the Islamist group Hamas on October 7 on Israeli territory.

The minister also highlighted that the Portuguese Government defends “an immediate ceasefire” and is “always on the side of the release of the Israeli hostages” who have remained in the Palestinian enclave for seven months, but, he stressed: “We no longer depend on anything from the other.”

“The humanitarian situation is catastrophic”, he stressed.

Portugal, he added, can engage in “pedagogy with countries in the global South” regarding the recognition of Palestine as a member of the UN — it currently has observer status.

“We have this international consultation, always safeguarding that it is necessary to release the hostages, that Israel has the right to self-defense and that the two States have legitimacy, Palestine and Israel”, stated the minister.

Paulo Rangel also mentioned that the Portuguese Government condemns the ongoing Israeli offensive in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, “although it is a surgical intervention, not the one that was announced, but that does not mean that it will not occur”.

The head of diplomacy recalled that it was also a PSD and CDS government that voted in favor of Palestine’s observer status, contradicting “narratives that are sometimes created that there are some who are great defenders of the Palestinian people and then the others are the great oppressors of the Palestinian people and are linked to international Zionism”, which led Rui Tavares to ask for the defense of honor to declare that such an accusation did not come from his bench.

JH //APN

Lusa/End