“At this moment, what is urgently needed is to stop the extermination of the Palestinian people, stop the ethnic cleansing occurring [in Gaza], and this is achieved not only by Palestinians but by Jews, Israelis, Christians, by all people who believe in peace and the sense of humanity that is lacking in the world,” stated Ricardo Sá Fernandes, one of the promoters of the petition to the Portuguese Parliament for the recognition of the State of Palestine.
Ricardo Sá Fernandes, along with other promoters—gallery owner Ana Pereirinha and consultants Paulo Areosa Feio and José Vítor Malheiros—delivered the petition to the Parliament today. The petition, having exceeded 7,500 signatures, will be discussed in plenary.
“The fundamental goal is to demand recognition of the State of Palestine and respect for the international jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court [ICC],” described Sá Fernandes, emphasizing the “need for Portugal to be an advocate of this jurisdiction.”
The ICC has issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and former military chief of the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, Mohammed Deif, who is deceased.
The petition notes that recognition has already been granted by 149 countries at the United Nations and also aims to prevent Portuguese territory from serving as a passage for war materials destined for Israel concerning the operations occurring in Gaza, added the promoter.
“It is time to say enough. We are tired of this absolutely indefensible situation, this ethnic cleansing occurring in Gaza which involves tremendous suffering,” stated the lawyer.
For the petitioners, Portugal and other states must “understand the symbolic importance represented by the recognition of the State of Palestine by the international community.”
“It signifies that the international community will not tolerate the extermination of these people and their removal from fundamental rights,” he said.
The signatories, he added, “respect Israel and the Jewish community” and are “very critical” of the “terrorist attack” carried out by Hamas on October 7, 2023, which triggered the Israeli military offensive in Gaza, expressing solidarity with the victims.
When asked about the position of successive Portuguese governments not recognizing Palestine as a state, Ricardo Sá Fernandes termed it “a cowardly diplomacy.”
“We need a diplomacy with full affirmation of the values we believe in,” he advocated.
He also described as “nonsense” the announcement by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, who admitted the recognition of the State of Palestine by Portugal “under certain conditions,” such as the disarmament of Hamas and the empowerment of the Palestinian Authority (which holds power in the West Bank).
“We are for peace, dignity, and the defense of the values we relate to as free citizens of this world, and therefore, enough of this nonsense,” he stated, urging: “It’s time to move to action.”
Next Tuesday, representatives of the petitioners will be received by the Vice-President of the Parliament Teresa Morais (PSD).
The Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, caused about 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages, according to Israeli authorities.
The Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip has already resulted in over 55,000 deaths, according to local authorities controlled by Hamas, the destruction of almost all infrastructure in the territory, and the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.
