Shalom aleichem.

1. "Passports" was the title of a report aired on 22 November 2023, aimed to denigrate the 2013/2015 legislation that the government is determined to amend by January 15, 2024.

2. No positive effect of the legislation was mentioned. There was no mention of new synagogues, solidarity centers, museums, history films, kosher establishments, and cemeteries that have been established as a result of the law.

https://portuguesejewishnews.com/news/jewish-community-of-oporto-a-100-year-old-institution/

3. The names and links to Portugal of the 25 victims of October 7, 2023 were not investigated. This serves as an example here because no one but Hamas could have chosen those specific people as victims.

https://portuguesejewishnews.com/news/cresce-diariamente-o-numero-de-vitimas-portuguesas-ou-com-ligacao-a-portugal/

4. The target community, which has not been contacted, as usual, is the usual one. This is the strongest Jewish community in Portugal, in numerical, cultural, religious, educational and philanthropic terms. It is considered by Jewish leaders abroad to be one of the most advanced in Europe. 

https://www.jns.org/jewish-leaders-to-europe-seek-our-help-when-planning-for-our-communities/

5. With the use of anonymous sources, three particular cases have been presented to discredit the law:

- A proudly Portuguese citizen who lives in Lisbon and who seven years ago went to great lengths to demonstrate the family's Sephardic roots, based on criteria that legislation 2013/2015 admits as valid, namely "family memory" and "family surnames" (article 24-A RN).

- Netanel Drew, a scandalous case of journalistic corruption.

https://portuguesejewishnews.com/news/articles/mais-um-caso-de-corrupcao/

- Roman Abramovich, another case of journalistic corruption, which continues to be the banner case, so wisely fabricated and promoted.

https://portuguesejewishnews.com/news/the-jewish-community-of-oporto-sent-abramovich-s-certification-process-to-the-presidents-of-the-republics-of-israel-and-of-portugal/

6. The ‘Abramovich case’ was made public on 18.12.2021, five days before the council of ministers approved the regulation that imposed impossible requirements on candidates (23.12.2021). The population applauded the new regulation, given the atmosphere at that time. The country that was an Empire in the time of the Jews is reduced to strategies like this.

7. An anonymous source came forward to say that Abramovich paid to be certified. Meanwhile, the 250 euros that the target paid to the CIP/CJP have already been donated to the Civil Registry Office.

https://portuguesejewishnews.com/news/oporto-jewish-community-shared-information-about-its-films-with-the-lisbon-register-office/

8. The report referred to ‘Operation Open Door’, fueled by journalistic corruption and state corruption, which will be tried at the European Court of Human Rights, where it is already on the waiting list.

https://portuguesejewishnews.com/news/comunidade-judaica-do-porto-declara-o-fim-da-operacao-porta-aberta-e-pede-uma-investigacao-internacional-a-um-caso-de-corrupcao-de-estado-a-mistura-com-assaltantes-noturnos-caluniadores-condenados-homicidas-e-doentes-de-hospitais-psiquiatri/

9. ‘Open Door’ took place on 11.03.2022, seven days before the publication of the regulation (18.03.2022). The population applauded the new regulation, given the atmosphere at that time. The country that was an empire in the past is now reduced to this shameful situation.

10. Nothing was said about the statement made by the Court of Appeal, that operation ‘Open Door’ "was based on nothing".

https://www.dn.pt/sociedade/assente-em-nada-relacao-critica-mp-e-revoga-medidas-de-coacao-a-rabino-do-porto-15206950.html

11. The Chief Rabbi of the CIP/CJP, Daniel Litvak, was described as a fugitive to Israel. It is well known that the Community has two resident Rabbis, Yoel Zekri and Haim Shetrit. The Chief Rabbi has always lived in Israel. He continues to visit Portugal to give lectures, including one on journalistic corruption.

https://portuguesejewishnews.com/news/teenagers-from-portuguese-schools-listen-to-the-chief-rabbi-of-oporto-at-the-name-room-of-the-holocaust-museum/

12. A lawyer who is Vice-President of the Israel Bar Association was contacted for the report, and spent hours talking to a journalist to explain to him the fairness of the processes for the certification of the Sephardic origins of applicants for citizenship. The goal of the report was just to paste a few hand-picked phrases on the piece to denigrate the legislation. The lawyer was hired by the CIP/CJP, between 2018 and 2022, to try to put an end to the abusive advertising that was practiced in Israel, a task for the Portuguese State, and, in fact, in all countries when it comes to citizenship. This applies to Sephardim or to any others who are entitled to the citizenship. The poor can enter easily, but "the mercantilism of the Mediterranean" is reprehensible, as an anonymous source pointed out.

13. The old story was repeated that the Jewish Community of Porto has issued more certificates than the Jewish Community of Lisbon, without explaining that the former certifies exclusively Jews of Sephardic origin and the latter certifies descendants of Jews (of Sephardic origin) from Latin America, based on different criteria.

14. There was no mention of the fact that the CIP/CJP is the only community with full synagogues

https://portuguesejewishnews.com/news/yom-kippur-oporto/

with an active Jewish Museum,

https://portuguesejewishnews.com/news/the-jewish-museum-of-oporto-welcomed-500-teenagers-on-the-national-day-of-remembrance-of-the-victims-of-the-inquisition/

and with an active Holocaust Museum.

https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-772711

15. The cultural and religious work of the community continues, despite what has been said about the legislation.

https://ejpress.org/jewish-community-of-oporto-produces-film-on-the-1506-massacre-in-lisbon/

A summary of what has been said here, with 125 thousand views, appears on line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWydZvsD70k&t

Best regards. 

CIP/CJP Board of Directors