The Israeli embassy in Portugal regretted this Thursday that the celebrations, on Wednesday, of the 76th anniversary of the founding of Israel were subject to insults and that the guests were "persecuted and insulted" by anti-Israeli activists.

In a statement published on the website of the Israeli diplomatic mission in Lisbon, the Israeli embassy recalls that the protocol ceremony, which took place at Cinema São Jorge in a spirit of "peace, love and inclusion", contrasted with the demonstrations that took place outside the building .

"[In these demonstrations] the State of Israel was vilified, the Jews were the target of insults and the guests were persecuted, threatened, insulted and objects thrown at them", the document reads.

"Israel has stressed, from the beginning, that this war aims to restore security to its citizens and bring the hostages back. It is a war against terrorism and the barbarism that comes from it. In times like the ones we live in, all those who believe in the free world they must unite against evil", the statement continues.

It is in this sense that the Israeli diplomatic mission "heartily thanks the politicians, deputies, diplomats and everyone who attended this event, [...] for supporting this message".

According to the Israeli embassy in Lisbon, the ceremony was celebrated at a time that was "so especially challenging for the country" and that, "exactly for that reason, it was based, at all times, on a message of peace, love and inclusion." .

On Wednesday, around two hundred pro-Palestinian activists demonstrated against the celebrations of the 76th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel, throwing bags of paint at guests who were preparing to enter the event venue.

The protest, called by the Unitary Platform in Solidarity with Palestine (PUSP), was accompanied by a strong police contingent, started with the Rapid Intervention Team (EIR) and, later, by the PSP Intervention Corps, with no record of clashes until at the moment.

Holding Palestinian flags and protest posters, the protesters shouted slogans such as "long live the struggle of the Palestinian people", "the 76 years are of robbery and slaughter", "[Carlos] Moedas (president of the Lisbon city council) sponsors murderous propaganda" or "Zionism is violence, Palestine is resistance", as well as references to 76 years of "occupation, apartheid [racial segregation regime], land theft and genocide".

The protest organized by PUSP and also by the Movement for the Rights of the Palestinian People and for Peace in the Middle East (MPPM) continued from 8:00 pm with a vigil, to denounce the "expulsion of millions of Palestinian people from their homes and lands, as well as a deadly occupation lasting almost eight decades, on which the founding of the State of Israel was based."

Speaking to the Lusa agency, Júlia Branco, a pro-Palestinian political activist, considered it "shameful" that the Lisbon City Council and the São Jorge cinema "give a stage to murderers" and "people who are killing children, completely innocent people , by the thousands.”

Questioned by Lusa about the decision announced this Thursday by Spain, Norway and Ireland to recognize Palestine as an independent state on the 28th of this month, Júlia Branco argued that Portugal should do the same.

"The Portuguese government must recognize the State of Palestine now! Spain has already done it, Ireland has already done it, Norway has already done it. I don't know what Portugal is waiting for", she concluded.

Source: DN