“We are taking a gradual, secure, and consistent path so that we can contribute with our decision to a solution, because I don’t want to arrive tomorrow and receive a medal because the Portuguese government recognized the State of Palestine. No, I want peace in the Middle East, I want peace between Israel and Palestine, and I want the preservation of human rights,” stated Luís Montenegro.
He further added that “today, more than ever,” there is a “clear violation of international law, humanitarian law, notably in Gaza.”
In a statement, the prime minister had already indicated he would consult the President of the Republic and political parties with parliamentary representation regarding “considering the recognition of the Palestinian State” at the United Nations General Assembly in September.
“The government decided to consult his Excellency the President of the Republic and the Political Parties represented in the Assembly of the Republic, with a view to considering the recognition of the Palestinian State, in a procedure that could be concluded in the High-Level week of the 80th United Nations General Assembly, to take place in New York next September,” announced the prime minister’s office in a statement.
“I am very proud of Portuguese diplomacy having an active role in the context of significant decisions that, from the perspective of international organizations, have led to positive evolution, namely conflict resolution,” stated Luís Montenegro in Valpaços, Vila Real district, speaking to journalists after the inauguration of the Alzheimer and Parkinson Portugal Relevance Center.
The head of government also referred that achieving the goal of consecrating the two-state solution, where both the State of Israel and the State of Palestine could coexist peacefully and securely, “presupposes that every step taken must be designed not to impair the objective.”
“So, a precipitous recognition of the State of Palestine, without support and without meeting certain conditions, does not contribute to solving the problem,” he said.
“More than 140 countries have already recognized Palestine, and has that changed anything on the ground? No. We want our position with partners (…) to influence what happens on the ground,” he noted.
Therefore, he explained, this evolution is still dependent on verifying certain conditions on the ground, namely a demilitarized Hamas, the immediate release of all war hostages, security guarantees, and that a future State of Palestine can have a representative democracy and elections.
“This is not, contrary to what it sometimes seems, reaching an Assembly of the Republic with all due respect and voting on a paper, a single goal. This requires a movement of negotiation and coordination,” he further stated.
In a joint declaration signed at the end of the UN conference, Portugal admitted recognizing the State of Palestine and declared its commitment to work “the next day” in Gaza.
For Europe, the declaration is signed by Andorra, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, and Spain.
Among the 27 of the European Union, four countries have already recognized the Palestinian State – Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and Sweden.
