Credit: Gerardo Santos, Global Imagens
Hugo Costeira, president of the Portuguese Internal Security Observatory, told Diário de Notícias yesterday how he was insulted and spat on by pro-Palestine activists as he was leaving the ceremony marking the 76th anniversary of the State of Israel, which took place on May 22 at the cinema Saint George.
"There was a group of four or five ladies, all wearing hijabs. They spat at me and shouted “Die Jew, die Jew!” Nothing like that has ever happened to me anywhere in my life. And I've been to Gaza, I've been to the West Bank, I've been to Jerusalem."
"I was all spit on. And I was shocked," continued the president, who said that "the insults were uttered in English", which reveals the international facet of the protests.
As if that weren't enough, there was an individual filming and trying to kick the president of the Internal Security Observatory who was accompanied by a colleague. At one point I asked “Hey, stay away from us, stay away!”, and the ladies continued to spit at me".
The Israeli embassy in Portugal regretted that the celebrations 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 recalled 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 must unite against evil", the statement continues.
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 and insulting and spating them.
