Official government recognition of the ‘Nakba’, the ethnic cleansing of Palestine by Israeli forces, and condemnation of illegal ‘Israeli expansionism’, welcomed by Palestinian groups as vital move toward formal recognition of statehood
Portugal’s Parliament has voted to formally recognise the Nakba, the mass ethnic cleansing of 700,000 Palestinians – around 80% of the local population – from their land by Zionist forces before the creation of the state of Israel. In a vote, the Parlamento voted both to recognise the Nakba, which means ‘catastrophe’, and to condemn the ‘Israeli expansionism’ and contempt for international law that continues to drive thousands of Palestinians driven out of their homes to make way for new, illegal Israeli settlements that further fragment what remains of historic Palestine – and even that little has been under occupation by the apartheid Israeli government for decades.
A video published at the weekend by MintPress News showed a little of the horror of this expansionism, with Palestinian grape and olive vines being destroyed by Israeli bulldozers:
Israel’s latest extreme-right regime has vowed to continue and accelerate the land-grab – and continues to kill unarmed Palestinians, including children, while UK apologists for the apartheid regime even claim Palestinians simply ‘abandoned’ their homes in 1948.
In a statement, the Palestinian Authority welcomed the Portuguese resolution as a “first step in recognising Palestinian statehood” and a “true expression of Portugal’s solidarity with the plight of the Palestinian people, which has been going on for 75 years”.
The UK ‘mainstream’ media have, unsurprisingly, remained silent on the development.
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I’m so proud of them. A child’s tear rends the heavens.
The UK ‘mainstream’ media have, unsurprisingly, remained silent on the development.
Just as they did for Mexico’s recent recognition of the Palestinian state:
https://jacobin.com/2023/07/mexico-amlo-israel-palestine-embassy-diplomacy
On June 2, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates announced that, as of the first of the month, it had reclassified its diplomatic mission in Mexico from special delegation to embassy. The ministry “expresses its firm conviction that this measure will contribute significantly to the…strengthening of relations between Mexico and the State of Palestine, on the basis of respect and mutual recognition, in benefit of our two peoples as well as international security and development,” it affirmed in a statement.
The announcement should have made headlines. Instead, it was received with a soft thud by both the Mexican and international press. As for the Mexican government, its only confirmation came by way of a hands-free upgrading of the delegation’s status to embassy on its official website — a curious, backdoor route for such a fundamental change in foreign policy.
Speaking of the Nakba, this BBCW documentary from 1998 was recently posted on YouTube. The upload quality is poor but doesn’t detract from the content.
In Search of Palestine – Edward Said’s Return Home BBC Documentary (1998) by Charles Bruce
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzVAjlzhEdc
For Palestinian expatriate Edward Said, the return to his homeland amounted to a painful inquiry into his past. This program captures the interconnection between Said’s personal recollections and the shared memory of the Palestinian people. Far from ignoring the contemporary realities of the Middle East, Said’s perspective relates the ruins of history to the complacent and destructive policies of present-day governments, and delivers a powerful articulation of the weaknesses of the Oslo accords. His intellectual legacy provides valuable insight into the circumstances of the second intifada, as well as the faint steps toward peace that have followed. A BBCW Production.
Is Portugal now deemed to be an antisemitic country and will its people be denounced as antisemites too?
I ask because I frequently holiday in Portugal and as a result an scared I may be denounced as an antisemite by association by the pro Isreal/ Zionist zealots who regularly bandy such accusations about .
Smartboy, you’ve had it comrade. Now they will reinstate your membership so that they can boot you out for A/S. Unforgivable.
An artical from the Times of Israel, dated June second 2023
https://www.timesofisrael.com/porto-jews-decry-soviet-style-antisemitism-as-lucrative-citizenship-vetting-probed/