The coordinator of the BE today defended Portugal’s duty to recognize the State of Palestine and challenged the Minister of Foreign Affairs to abandon “irresponsible positions in which he denied the genocide” in Gaza.
“It’s very important that the Foreign Minister [Paulo Rangel], who had irresponsible positions in the past, who denied the genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza, changes his position and adopts a responsible position in defense of peace,” said Mariana Mortágua, who took part in the April for Palestine march in Lisbon.
Speaking to journalists on the day that marks six months since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, the BE leader stressed that Portugal’s “duty” is to recognize the State of Palestine, standing alongside the international community and UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
“It’s important that, six months after the start of Israel’s attacks on Gaza, we are here to remember what is happening in Gaza. Israel has killed more than 30,000 people and almost half of them are children,” lamented Mariana Mortágua.
These figures show that a “policy of genocide and extermination” is underway in Gaza, said the Bloc leader, for whom this makes it “so important that the different countries of the European Union recognize the State of Palestine as a movement for peace”.
“The recognition of the State of Palestine today is a political movement to stop the genocide and to tell Israel that it must recognize the legitimacy of a state and a people who are being massacred at its hands,” he said.
According to Mariana Mortágua, what “makes sense” is for Portugal to join the countries that have already unilaterally promised to recognize the State of Palestine, pointing to Slovenia, Spain, Malta and Ireland.
The April for Palestine march set off from Praça do Município, Lisbon, shortly after 3:30pm towards Largo do Intendente, passing through Largo do Carmo to sing the symbol song “Grândola Vila Morena”.
The ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip was triggered by an attack by the Islamist group Hamas on Israeli soil on October 7, 2023.
Since then, Israel has launched an offensive in the Gaza Strip that has caused more than 33,000 deaths, according to Hamas, which has ruled the small Palestinian enclave since 2007.
March for Palestine kicks off in Lisbon with several hundred people
Israeli hostage declared dead by Hamas has Portuguese nationality
