According to a note published on Belen’s official website, “this morning the President of the Republic spoke by telephone with his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog at his request.”
“The President of Israel wanted to explain the postponement of the visit to Portugal (which was scheduled for early November), as well as to inform the President of Portugal about his country’s position on the current situation,” the note says.
According to the same text, the Israeli President “appreciated Portugal’s immediate condemnation of the terrorist attacks.”
“Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa spoke about Portugal’s position within the framework of international and constitutional values and principles. Naturally, the significance of the human lives involved was taken into account,” the text adds.
Last week, during his state visit to Belgium, the President of the Republic noted that Portugal “clearly condemned the Hamas terrorist attack” on October 7 on Israeli soil, defending “Israel’s legitimate right of response against Hamas” but distinguishing the Islamist group from ” the Palestinian people as a whole” and condemning “behaviors and actions which, when targeted at innocent civilian victims, are clearly deplorable.”
“This was clear, as was the European Union when it said that there were United Nations resolutions regarding the two states. [de Israel e da Palestina]. They are standing,” Marcelo Rebelo de Souza then added.
The Islamist group Hamas launched a surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, firing thousands of rockets and invading armed militias, taking two hundred hostages.
In response, Israel declared war on Hamas, the movement that has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007 and which the European Union and the United States classify as terrorist, bombing several of the group’s infrastructure in the Gaza Strip and imposing a complete blockade of the area, cutting off water, fuel and electricity.
The conflict has already caused the death and injury of thousands of military personnel and civilians in both territories.
In January 2020, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa traveled to Israel to attend the 5th World Holocaust Forum in Jerusalem and even planned an exchange of state visits with his Israeli counterpart at the time, Reuven Rivlin.
On this occasion, the Portuguese head of state expressed his desire to return to Israel for the inauguration of Plaza Aristide de Sousa Mendes and announced that he had invited his Israeli counterpart “to visit Portugal, if possible, before the end of 2020”, which did not materialize.
Reuven Rivlin was replaced as President of Israel in July 2021 by Isaac Herzog.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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