The President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, showed today his point of view about the Jewish reality in Portugal and of the European Commission's plans to promote Jewish religious life, Jewish culture and history, Holocaust education, protection of places of worship, and the fight against antisemitism in its many forms.
Among ten politicians from the political centre and right, including current government officials, who were also asked about their knowledge of the Commission's goals, the President of the Republic was the only one who said he was aware of the plan, saying that "it is up to the Executive to decide and put into practice concrete measures that implement Portugal's international commitments".
The country does not have a national plan for the promotion of Jewish life and the fight against antisemitism and much less a coordinator. Both of the Commission's demands were not met. Even the policing of synagogues only exists if the Jewish communities pay for it, which costs tens of thousands of euros annually.
The President of the Republic "who has Jewish blood on his mother's side", as he proudly states, says that "both the Jewish communities in Lisbon, Oporto and Belmonte, as well as the tributes to Aristides de Sousa Mendes, have been growing, nationally and in the region of his birth. On several occasions, I have participated in them, such as in ceremonies in the Synagogues of Lisbon and Oporto."
Regarding antisemitism, the president considers that "there is no antisemitic feeling in Portugal, neither in the elderly, very numerous in an aging society, nor in the youngest. Even the current developments in the Middle East have not created, outside limited political circles, actions, and even less actions against people, places of worship, with or without violence, as in other countries, even European ones."
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa began his presidential term in 2016 and will be in office until 2026. Since 2016, Jewish communities have grown in Oporto, Lisbon, Cascais, Coimbra, Algarve, Minho, even in Vila Real.
Commenting on Sousa's statements, the president of the Jewish Community of Oporto Gabriel Senderowicz says that "Portuguese president is a good friend of Portuguese Jews, but unfortunately for years he was surrounded by government officials with very different feelings. It was up to them to implement the directives of the European Commission and they did nothing more than persecute the strongest community and Jews of Portuguese origin."
"There were tens of thousands of hate messages against us and demonstrations for better housing under slogans such as "Neither Haifa nor Boavista", "We don't want to be tenants of murderous Zionists", "Neither bombs in Palestine, nor evictions in Oporto", lists in a left newspaper with their names and identification of their companies, and so on. It is a hunt for the Israeli Jew." Just yesterday a member of ours, a real estate entrepreneur, saw the façade of his house painted in red with the message "Nimrod, Zionist pig", Senderowicz says.
He adds, "The president Marcelo Sousa has a lot to occupy himself with and certainly does not know that there have been bomb threats in the synagogue and in the Holocaust Museum, as well as physical assaults, our chief rabbi target in a supermarket. He is unaware of the vandalism in Jewish establishments, kosher restaurants, in the synagogue and even in the home of one of our board members, where the mezuzah was painted red twice, the first time in 2021."
"Of course there is not as much antisemitism in Portugal as in other countries with much larger Jewish communities and where the Jewish presence has been significant for many decades or centuries, have much greater antisemitism. But there is a difference. In France or Germany, antisemitism comes from the common people and not from the elites. Here it is Jewish success that causes discomfort to political, economic and media elites".