The Brussels Palace of Justice. Credit: Martin Mycielski
INTRODUCTION
1. The Jewish Community of Oporto, the plaintiff, is a century-old institution, founded in 1923. It was described in the European Jewish Press as the strongest Jewish organization in cultural terms on the old continent. It is also the strongest Portuguese Jewish Community in numerical and religious terms. (Doc. 1)
2. The president of the Jewish Community of Oporto is also a member of the board of the European Jewish Association (EJA). Based in Brussels and founded in 2007, EJA is the largest and widest reaching association of Jewish organizations and communities in Europe, representing thousands of Jews across the continent, with some 80 national and regional affiliated organisations, from Portugal to Ukraine. (Doc. 2)
3. The Jewish Community of Lisbon is a century-old institution, founded in 1913, and has been a member of the European Jewish Congress, since a time when the Jewish Community of Oporto, then reduced to almost nothing, was still licking the wounds of the expulsion from the army of its founder, Captain Barros Basto, known widely as the "Portuguese Dreyfus". (Doc. 3)
4. The European Jewish Congress (EJC), founded in 1986 and based in Brussels, was created to give a unified voice to Jewish communities around Europe, representing their common interests and concerns. It is affiliated to the World Jewish Congress. (Doc. 4)
FACTS
5. The Jewish Community of Oporto published the first volume of a book entitled "The Plan! - Jewish life threatened in Europe" on July 5, 2024. It denounces a coup of Soviet-style anti-Semitism, conducted between 2020 and 2023, by Lisbon's political, economic and media elites, all interconnected with each other. This coup was an attempt to destroy the most significant Jewish entities in Portugal, namely the strongest Jewish Community in Portugal, the Jewish Community of Oporto, and to repeal the law that granted Portuguese citizenship to Jews of Sephardic origin. At at the same time those elites praised and treated the Jewish Community of Lisbon well, and the book explains this is similar to what was done in the USSR, with the union of the government with small Jewish elites (in Moscow, Odessa, and Leningrad) which always testified in favor of the government and denied the existence of anti-Semitism, while at the same time the central power and the political press attacked Jewish life in the territory, always in the same ways: slanderous press campaigns, the mobilization of public opinion against Jewish entities to extirpate, and brutal police actions on targets of the coup. (Doc. 5)
6. The book ‘The Plan!’ says little about António Costa, the former prime minister of Portugal who was recently appointed president of the European council. Rather it focuses on a diffuse but complementary action by countless agents with political connections and it promises to make more details public. At the same time it does not forget the names of characters such as the minister of foreign affairs (who since 2020 had sought to destroy the Sephardic law of Return because of "a Palestinian affair", in the words of the President of the Republic); the Costa's goddaughter (who in 2020 has led the destructive debate in parliament on that law that was of interest to Israeli Sephardic Jews, and who compared their growth to the exponential growth of the coronavirus), the Costa's brother (the director of two of the largest Portuguese media outlets that since 2020 have participated in attacks on both the law and the Jewish Community of Oporto), and also the Minister of Justice, who in 2022 sent anonymous complaints to the prosecutor's office and the Lisbon police whose leaders she herself had appointed in 2018. (Doc. 6)
7. However, the Jewish press, in publicizing the book ‘The Plan!’ put the emphasis on the name of António Costa, the leader of the government under whose aegis the main lines of the coup were outlined, as explained in the book, who had been appointed to the position of president of the European Council. (Doc. 7)
PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF LISBON
8. The Board of the Jewish Community of Lisbon made a public statement rejecting the connection between António Costa and anti-Semitism, referring to the excellent relationship between Costa and that community, forgetting the brutal attacks on the Jewish Community of Oporto unleashed by the government and all the forces associated with it in parliament, the press and the prosecutor's office. Furthermore, it falsely mixed distinct and separated realities occurring at different times over a year and a half, ie, it recalled the need that the government had to change the nationality law (which began in May 2020) with the public alarm over news that reported alleged abuses, "under pressure from public scrutiny and media pressure" (which began in December 2021).
9. Indeed, on July 8, 2024, the communiqué of the Jewish Community of Lisbon stated the following: "Considering news reports stating that 'Oporto Jews accuse incoming EU Council president of history of antisemitism', the Jewish Community of Lisbon feels it is their duty and obligation to publicly share that at no time did they perceive any sign or concrete manifestation of antisemitism from Dr António Costa, former Prime Minister of Portugal, during his tenure.
Moreover, the Jewish Community of Lisbon recalls a meeting they had with then Prime Minister António Costa on 26th January at his official residence. This meeting took place in an atmosphere of great cordiality and lasted well over an hour. During this meeting, the Jewish Community of Lisbon expressed their displeasure with the lack of dedication and commitment from the then National Coordinator of the European Strategy to Combat Antisemitism and Promote Jewish Life, Pedro Bacelar Vasconcelos, emphasising the need for the government to quickly appoint a new responsible person, which indeed happened a few weeks later.
António Costa, as Mayor of Lisbon, was an active promoter of the celebration of Chanukkah in public spaces. Thanks to his support, Chanukkah is marked every year at the top of Eduardo VII Park.
The Jewish Community of Lisbon also reminds that they have publicly expressed reservations and criticised the way the government legislated and regulated the Nationality Law in recent years. António Costa's governments, especially the Justice departments, made the legislation and regulations regarding the naturalisation of descendants of Sephardic Jews more complex. They did this in response to public alarm over news of alleged abuses in the issuance and granting of nationality certificates by one of the Jewish Communities in Portugal, and due to political scrutiny and media pressure. They did not act out of antisemitic motivation. There is absolutely no evidence of antisemitic motivations concerning the behaviour of the previous government." (Doc. 8)
PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF OPORTO
10. On July 8, 2024, in response, the Directorate of the Jewish Community of Oporto issued the following statement:
"- The Jewish Community of Oporto recently published the first volume of a book entitled "The Plan! - Jewish life threatened in Europe", which describes a failed coup by Lisbon elites in an attempt to destroy the strongest Jewish Community in Portugal and to repeal the law that granted Portuguese citizenship to Jews of Sephardic origin.
- The book says little about the leader of the government under whose term the strategies of the coup were developed. However, the Board of Directors of another Community made a statement recalling the need that the government had to change the nationality law "following public alarm over news that reported alleged abuses", "under pressure from public scrutiny and media pressure". This is false and a shame for those who allowed themselves to write this.
- The news about the alleged abuses appeared on 18.12.2021, a year and a half after the shameful discussion about the law began in parliament in May 2020. ("It's a Dreyfus affair", Dr. José Carp, of blessed memory, then the President of the Lisbon Jewish Community, wrote to the Jewish Community of Oporto at that time.) The news appeared in the same month in which the Jewish Community of Oporto rejected a government regulation project as unconstitutional (06.12.2021).
- In addition, the alleged abuses that led to the illegal invasion of the largest synagogue in the country were aimed at a multimillionaire whose origins were certified by the Community "of the communiqué" and the current targets are three non-Jewish Colombian citizens (similar to Padre Jesus of Colombia) which were certified by the same Community.
- The former head of government's affection for the capital's community and employees and para-employees of the established powers cannot be denied, but it is at least pathetic to highlight a meeting in 2024 with the prime minister already fired, when another meeting was twice denied by him, in 2020, at the request of Dr. José Carp, when communities most needed to talk to the head of government. Esther Mucznik wrote "Listen to us!" at that time.
- The communiqué states that the 2024 meeting with the former head of government served to deal with the replacement of the coordinator for the promotion of Jewish life, Prof. Bacelar Vasconcelos. This makes no sense, since Prof. Vasconcelos already publicly stated that he resigned from his position with the fall of the government in 2023. The communiqué even invokes "his lack of commitment and commitment", which is also false. He was an ever-present figure where there was real Jewish life. He visited the synagogue in Porto, where he spent Yom Kippur with a congregation of 700 people. He made visits to the Jewish museum and spoke publicly there. He made visits to the Holocaust museum in the presence of thousands of children, was present in the Community's cinema to watch the history films produced by it, and also frequented the kosher restaurants of the Porto Community.
- One should not make announcements about a book that one has not read, much less make sad statements that will be recorded by the appropriate means." (Doc. 9)
11. This communiqué from the Jewish Community of Oporto was addressed, on 8/7/2024, to the World Jewish Congress and in this way to the European Jewish Congress, two institutions linked to each other. (Doc. 10)
PUBLIC STATEMENT FROM THE EUROPEAN JEWISH CONGRESS
12. On July 9, 2024, the European Jewish Congress issued a statement that largely reproduced the statement of the Jewish Community of Lisbon that it knew to be false, offensive to the Jewish Community of Oporto and unfair to the Jewish world that expects truth and responsibility from that organization. In this EJC communiqué the following text appears:
"Brussels, July 9 – The European Jewish Congress strongly rejects claims accusing the incoming President of the European Council and former Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa, of antisemitism.
Incoming President Costa had an exemplary record as Mayor of Lisbon in his relations with the local Jewish Community and personally promoted the public celebration of key Jewish events.
Moreover, during his time as Prime Minister, President Costa met with Jewish Community leaders and addressed concerns regarding antisemitism both in Portugal and more broadly within the European Union.
The EJC and its Portuguese affiliate, the Jewish Community of Lisbon, express their absolute rejection of attempts to impute antisemitic intent to the Costa government's actions in tightening regulations on the granting of Portuguese citizenship to descendants of Sephardic Jews. These measures were implemented in response to concerns over alleged abuses in the issuance and granting of nationality certificates.
We are appalled that unsigned media reports from a particular Jewish group in Portugal would seek to launch an unfounded and potentially libellous attack on Mr. Costa in this manner." (Doc. 11)
13. This statement from the EJC intentionally damaged the good name of the Jewish Community of Oporto.
THE COORDINATORS TO COMBAT ANTISEMITISM
14. In the communiqué of the Jewish Community of Lisbon referred to in point 9, the current and previous national coordinators of the European strategy to combat anti-Semitism are mentioned. There are two social media posts on this subject that show the differences between the Jewish communities of Oporto and Lisbon and the immoral role that the European Jewish Congress played.
15. Post 1 - On February 21, 2024, regarding the appointment of the new coordinator for combating antisemitism and promoting Jewish life, CIL wrote on its Twitter page: "The Jewish Community of Lisbon (CIL) publicly expresses its satisfaction with the appointment, by the government, of ambassador Maria Manuela Ferreira de Macedo Franco, to act as national coordinator of the European strategy to combat antisemitism and promote Jewish life. CIL wishes Ambassador Manuela Franco all the best for the performance of the important mission entrusted to her. Everything remains to be done with regard to this agenda. Europe has moved forward and Portugal wasted the last year due to lack of attendance and lack of commitment from the previous coordinator, Prof. Pedro Carlos Bacelar Vasconcelos. We were pleased with this change that was imperative. There is a lot of work ahead. Now is the time to get to work and work together to eradicate the scourge of anti-Semitism and promote Jewish life." (Doc. 12)
16. Post 2 – On February 23, 2024, Prof. Pedro Carlos Bacelar Vasconcelos, himself, replied to CIL, on its social network: "It is regrettable that, omitting my name, the authors of the second paragraph of this statement refer to my short exercise of functions – from April 2023 to February 2024, with such carelessness and lack of rigor. Although in the meeting with the CIL board, shortly after my appointment, I had appealed for his contribution to the most appropriate definition of the promotion of Jewish life, I received nothing until the end of February 2024. Strange therefore the reference to a "balance" that could only be of self-criticism. The authors of that 2nd paragraph should be inspired by the work of other Jewish communities, for example, the Jewish Community of Oporto, with exemplary work to combat anti-Semitism and promote Jewish life, which I had the privilege of knowing and supporting. I therefore await an apology." (Doc. 13)
FINAL NOTES ON "OLIGARCHS"
17. In the modern world it has become normal to describe as “oligarchs” only Jewish multimillionaires of Soviet origin, which the Jewish Community of Oporto completely rejects.
18. The European Jewish Congress was the recipient of donations and funding by the inaccurately named “oligarchs”, even under sanction. The EJC did not see its good name completely destroyed because of this, nor would that be fair. (Docs. 14, 15, 16, 17)
19. The World Jewish Congress itself had until 2022 a Vice-President who was an "oligarch" under sanction. The WJC did not see its good name completely destroyed because of this, nor would that be fair. (Docs. 18, 19)
20. However, the Jewish Community of Oporto saw its reputation completely destroyed because of 250 euros from an "oligarch" and received nothing more from the EJC and the WJC other than irresponsible insults. The persecution in Portugal began on 18.12.2021 (with fake news commissioned by the government linking the community to alleged "corruption") regarding an "oligarch" whose Sephardic origin was certified by the Community based on legal criteria and charging an emolument of 250 euros, which is charged to all applicants. Furthermore, the government itself had given Portuguese nationality to this alleged “oligarch” for “reasons of national interest”. (Doc. 20)
IN SUMMARY,
The set of news that EJC condemns deals with the book: "The Plan!". No communication about the book, or about news related to it, or about opinions of the Jewish Community of Oporto regarding the facts reported in the book (facts that can be documented, one by one) should have taken place without first reading the book and without refuting in the slightest and truthful the facts reported there.
OFFENSES:
I. EJC stated, "The EJC and its Portuguese affiliate, the Jewish Community of Lisbon, express their absolute rejection of attempts to impute antisemitic intent to the Costa government's actions in tightening regulations on the granting of Portuguese citizenship to descendants of Sephardic Jews. These measures were implemented in response to concerns over alleged abuses in the issuance and granting of nationality certificates."
HOWEVER,
- What the book deals with is the Soviet anti-Semitic persecution of the Jewish community in Porto (since december 2021), by the government and the political press to definitely destroy the law in practical terms (a process of destruction that started in may 2020).
- Indeed, the book shows that these measures were discussed in parliament, by the parliamentary group of the socialist party, at the request of the government, from May 2020, based on anti-Semitic stereotypes as "convenience passports", "business", "illegal advertising in Israel", "tens of millions of potential candidates", "lawyers making money" and so on.
- The book shows that these measures were not implemented due to news about suspicions and public alarm (as the CIL statement says and which the EJC publishes and subscribes to), since these news items began on 18.12.2021, with suspicions about a Russian "oligarch", exactly 12 days after the community rejected a government project for being unconstitutional (06.12.2021).
- The book also shows that the alleged abuses that the prosecutor office tried to find (in 11.03.2022) targeted the citizen Patrick Drahi, who had been certified by the Lisbon community (and very well, because he met the legal requirements), even because the dossier relating to the Russian "oligarch" was left forgotten on the table.
II. EJC stated, "We are appalled that unsigned media reports from a particular Jewish group in Portugal would seek to launch an unfounded and potentially libellous attack on Mr. Costa in this manner."
HOWEVER,
- Calling the strongest Portuguese Jewish community in numerical, religious and cultural terms (and even the strongest in Europe in cultural terms) a "certain Jewish group in Portugal" is an outrage not only for the Jewish community in Porto but for the EJC, which Ironically would like to be the voice of Jews in Europe.
- Furthermore, the only social media outlet that Porto's Jewish community has is the Portuguese Jewish News, which has published nothing on the subject.
REQUEST:
The statement from the EJC (referred to in point 12) intentionally damaged the good name of the Jewish Community of Oporto, which therefore wishes to be compensated in the symbolic amount of 1 EURO.
