The Socialist party’s chairman and vice-president João Torres expressed “great astonishment and indignation” at the news reported on Friday by Público and “not denied” within 24 hours, claiming that during the Consan-CPLP meeting in Guinea-Bissau, the Portuguese delegation opposed including a reference to the food insecurity of Palestinians in Gaza in the final declaration approved by Heads of State and Government.
“This requires urgent clarifications from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Government. The PS will request a hearing of the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the start of the next legislative session to explain the situation and for the Government to respond in the Assembly of the Republic regarding its position on this tragedy witnessed over recent months in Gaza,” he stated.
Although the request for a hearing of Minister Paulo Rangel will be submitted for September—this week marks the last meetings of parliamentary committees, primarily for finalization of diplomas—the PS insists that the Government should provide “an immediate explanation” on this issue and will raise the matter in the Foreign Affairs Committee next Tuesday.
Livre, PCP, and BE have already directed inquiries to the Minister of Foreign Affairs regarding Portugal’s opposition to including a reference to food insecurity in Gaza in the CPLP summit’s final declaration, deeming the stance unjustifiable.
“Despite the Government and right-wing groups in the Assembly of the Republic, particularly those supporting the Government like PSD and CDS, not favoring the recognition of the State of Palestine, the Government claims to have taken a stance of strengthening relations and aid to the Palestinian National Authority,” João Torres emphasized.
However, he noted that the Público report contradicts this “humanist vision” the Government has claimed regarding the conflict.
“The tragedy in Gaza has reached such a proportion that it is absolutely necessary to bring visibility to what is happening in all potential political platforms and spaces,” he asserted.
The reference opposed by the Government, as reported by Público, was proposed by civil society and “condemned all forms of violence that undermined the human right to food, with a direct reference to the situation in Gaza, particularly that of Palestinian children.”
