The Israeli ambassador in Lisbon addressed Portuguese MPs arguing that this is not the time to discuss a Palestinian state or a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, following the vote in parliament on resolutions on the recognition of Palestine.
“Talking now about recognizing the Palestinian state is not relevant. Right now we are facing a terrorist organization to bring security to the Israeli people, but also to the Palestinians (…) Let us now finish the job and then we’ll talk about the future,” Dor Shapira said on the network in a video released today on his account on the X network, formerly Twitter.
The diplomat also questioned the existence of an interlocutor for dialogue, saying that the Gaza Strip “is controlled by Hamas terror” and the Palestinian Authority “has not even been able to condemn what happened on October 7,” the day on which the Islamist movement massacred, according to the Tel Aviv authorities, 1,200 people and kidnapped more than 240.
“Believe me, the future of Israel and the Palestinians, with all due respect to the MPs and everyone else, is much more important to me than it is to them. It’s the future of my children, not your children,” he said.
On Tuesday, the Assembly of the Republic voted on eight resolutions, without the force of law, in a debate led by Livre, entitled “The two-state solution and the recognition of Palestinian independence”, but only the recommendations to the PS, PAN and Livre governments on this issue were approved.
The PS bill was the most consensual – with votes in favor from the proponents, PSD, IL, BE, PAN and Livre, abstentions from Chega and PCP – and recommends that the government “make every diplomatic effort to defend the creation of the State of Palestine, alongside the existence of the State of Israel”, defending respect for United Nations resolutions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and “the existence of two viable and sustainable states”.
Livre also approved a recommendation “against the escalation of the war in Israel and Palestine” and a call for an immediate ceasefire, as did PAN, which calls for “an immediate end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a lasting peace, with the implementation of the two-state solution”.
In this regard, Dor Shapira argued that there should be no “hypothetical discussions” about a Palestinian state or a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, where the Israeli offensive by land, sea and air has already left more than 20,000 people dead, including 8,000 children and 6,200 women, and 52,600 wounded, according to figures from the local authorities controlled by Hamas, and around 1.9 million displaced, according to the UN.
“Right now we must commit ourselves and our efforts to resolving the problem we have, the threat the Israelis have and to make sure we get back the security and protection for the people of Israel and bring the hostages home,” the ambassador said in statements made on the day parliament debated the crisis in the Middle East but only released today, adding that this is Israel’s obligation to its people and that “if Portugal were in the same situation it would do exactly the same.”
On December 6, Dor Shapira stated that Portugal follows the European Union (EU) in relation to the State of Palestine and that its position has not changed.
“Regarding the issue of recognizing the Palestinian state, Portugal’s position follows the EU’s line and at the moment the EU has not yet recognized the Palestinian state, so I don’t see any change in that,” said the Israeli diplomat, during a press conference in Lisbon for relatives of hostages with Portuguese nationality held by Hamas since October 7.
The diplomat was commenting on statements made to Lusa by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, who said that the recognition of the State of Palestine “is something that should happen”, but in coordination with “some close partners” and at a “moment that has consequences for peace”.
“We look at recognition not as something that can happen, but as something that must happen, although the right moment for it to happen is still undetermined,” said João Gomes Cravinho, referring to the position of the head of the Spanish government and current president of the Council of the European Union (EU), Pedro Sánchez, who admitted the possibility of Spain recognizing the Palestinian state unilaterally, outside the EU and other member states of the community bloc.
Since the beginning of the war, the fighting in the Gaza Strip was only interrupted for a week – between November 24 and 30 – during a truce brokered by Qatar, Egypt and the United States, which included the release of 105 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners and the entry of humanitarian aid into the enclave.
Around 130 hostages remain in captivity in the Palestinian territory, where the displaced population survives in tents in the middle of winter and in a deep humanitarian crisis, due to the collapse of hospitals, the outbreak of epidemics and the shortage of drinking water, food, medicine, electricity and fuel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed on Wednesday that Israel will continue “the war until the end”, dampening hopes of a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, on the day negotiations with Hamas were expected to resume.
“We will continue the war until the end. It will continue until Hamas is eliminated, until victory,” Netanyahu insisted in a video message.
Hamas and other Palestinian factions today rejected the possibility of starting talks on the release of people kidnapped during the October 7 attacks, unless there is “a cessation of aggression” by Israel.
