Palestinian Authority salutes Portugal for recognition

At least two municipal cultural facilities in Lisbon displayed messages of support for Palestine this Friday night.

At the Bairro Alto Theater, after Tiago Rodrigues' play "Chorus of Lovers," during the applause, the message "Culture against genocide" was projected onto the backdrop, along with a Palestinian flag. A loud note called for "the entire cultural sector to unite and sign the open letter: if death remains silent, culture shouts, free Palestine."

Later, at the opening session of the QueerFestival festival, at Cinema São Jorge, the same image would be projected on the screen, before the film Plainclothes (2025) , by Carmen Emmi.

The Bairro Alto Theatre and the São Jorge Cinema are cultural facilities managed by Lisboa Cultura (formerly EGEAC), the municipal cultural company of the Lisbon City Council (CML).

Portugal's recognition of the State of Palestine, announced this Friday for Sunday, is "a good sign," but a decision that is flawed by being late, several left-wing politicians and former government officials defended on the same day.

"We must emphasize the importance of Portugal recognizing the State of Palestine as a good sign from this Government," said MEP and former Socialist minister Ana Catarina Mendes, speaking to Lusa on the sidelines of a Public Session for Palestine, which took place this Friday evening in Lisbon.

But it is a decision that “should have been made sooner,” he argued.

Her opinion was shared by Marisa Marias, from the Left Bloc (BE), Inês Sousa Real, from PAN, Pedro Guerreiro from the PCP and Isabel Mendes Lopes, from Livre, as well as by Catarina Martins also from BE, all present at the same session.

For Ana Catarina Mendes, if Portugal had been taken sooner, "we could have joined forces with others and exerted international pressure." As a result, "more people would have died."

The Livre MP, Isabel Mendes Lopes, in her speech at today's public session, considered that Portugal's recognition of the State of Palestine "is late" and stressed that although it is "an important step, it is not enough."

Pedro Guerreiro of the Communist Party (PCP) said that the recognition of Palestine must be accompanied by measures that reinforce the sovereignty of the Palestinian people, with positions of opposition to anything that jeopardizes international law, the rights and citizenship of the Palestinian people, he added.

Socialist Party (PS) MP Marisa Matias, for her part, said it was "regrettable to wait two years of occupation and two years of genocide" for Palestine to be recognized. She referred not only to Portugal's recognition, but also to the recognition of the other nine countries that (along with Portugal) will recognize the Palestinian State on Monday, the day the United Nations General Assembly begins.

Civil society representatives argued this Friday night in a public session for Palestine that the international community must stop funding Israel and put an end to “genocide” and “fanaticism.”

“As long as Israel continues to be financed, armed and normalized by the international community, the genocide will not end,” said Palestinian and New University professor Dima Mohammed.

For that Palestinian immigrant, it is necessary to “end all arms trade with Israel and suspend all military and security cooperation” with the Jewish state.

And he mentioned that there are those who invest “in companies that profit from destruction.”

The vice-president of the Movement for the Rights of the Palestinian People and Peace in the Middle East (MPPM), Carlos Almeida, argued that the recognition of Palestine must be accompanied by a political attitude.

"If this recognition is not accompanied by a different political stance and a concrete policy that supports the Palestinian people, isolates Israel internationally, and holds the Israeli government accountable, we will continue to deceive the Palestinian people and sow illusions," the Palestinian activist emphasized.

Writer and State Counselor Lídia Jorge was not present, but sent a video in which she said that “fanaticism has won in the world.”

"Fanaticism has won in Gaza, in Palestine, in Israel, in Palestine, in the United States, in Europe, and around the world," said the writer, considering that it is necessary to put an end to this and to the "genocide" in Gaza.

Left-wing parties such as the Socialist Party, the Left Bloc, the Portuguese Communist Party and People, Animals and Nature (PAN), also present at the session, called for a more active stance from Europe and some advocated sanctions on Israel.

Japan has announced that it will not recognize the State of Palestine for now, days before a high-level conference on a two-state solution on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

"The question is not whether to recognize it, but when. I believe we have reached a point where we must seriously consider what truly, practically, and effectively leads to the two-state solution, which Japan has consistently supported," Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said at a press conference on Friday.

The local Asahi newspaper on Wednesday cited government sources who attributed Japan's decision to a desire not to harm relations with the United States or provoke a hardening of Israel's stance.

Iwaya emphasized that Tokyo “does not tolerate unilateral actions by Israel,” including the offensive in the Gaza Strip, restrictions on humanitarian aid and the annexation of the West Bank, and warned that it keeps “all options” open, including the recognition of Palestine as a state, if the situation worsens.

Japan's Foreign Minister also spoke with his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Saar, on Friday, demanding an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and expressing concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation.

Iwaya also spoke with his Palestinian counterpart, Varsen Aghabekian, to whom he reiterated Japan's support for the two-state solution and reforms in the Palestinian National Authority.

The Palestinian National Authority (PNA) today welcomed Portugal's announcement that it will recognize Palestine on Sunday, calling the decision "courageous and consistent with international law."

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomes the decision of the Portuguese Republic to recognize the State of Palestine tomorrow, Sunday," the ministry said in a statement posted on social media.

The Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday the recognition of Palestine on Sunday, “even before next week’s High-Level Conference,” organized by France and Saudi Arabia at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

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