Portuguese Republic/Facebook
Rangel did not want to annoy Netanyahu, but United Kingdom and France admit no retaliation. At this important moment, the government forgot the flags it learned in geography classes.
Portugal, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia formally recognized, on Sunday, the state of Palestine, on the eve of the conference for Two -state solution (Israel and Palestine)scheduled for this Monday at the UN headquarters, in which several countries will officialize the recognition of the Palestinian state.
“Today, September 21, 2025, the Portuguese State officially recognizes the State of Palestine,” said Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel, in a statement on the Portuguese mission with the United Nations in New York.
On social networks, the government has rushed to announce the news. But instead of the Palestinian flag, he placed next to the Portuguese flag the (very similar) Sudan Flagcountry where one currently lives, according to the UN, the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.
ZAP/Instagram
The gaffe, quickly corrected by the official government account on Instagram, has been the target of various criticism and jokes by social network users.
Netayahu counter-Ataca
On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hurried to say that there will be no Palestinian statein a video directed to Western leaders, namely the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, who recognized the Palestinian state a few hours before Portugal.
“I have a clear message for leaders who recognize a Palestinian state after the atrocious massacre of October 7: you are offering a huge reward to terrorism. I have another message to you: This will not happen. No Palestinian state will be created west of the [rio] Jordan“Added Netanyahu, who He also promised to expand Jewish colonization in the occupied West Bankin response to the recognition of a Palestinian state by Western countries.
Rangel wants to protect Israel
Portugal said it will seek to use “all diplomatic instruments” available to convince Israel of the Portuguese position of recognition of the Palestinian State and that this decision “aims precisely to defend security” Israelite, said Rangel.
“What I did here is a very clear appeal that there is a ceasefire, that one can restrain any initiative that can increase tension, violence, naturally, in the region and, in particular, in the Palestinian territories,” said the minister.
Portugal will seek to make use of “all the diplomatic instruments that have at hand to have the best relations” with the government of Israel, and at the same time, “the power to convince the will” of the Portuguese position, said Paulo Rangel.
“E Our position aims to always always defend the security of Israel“, Rangel stressed, who argued that only with a balance and” agreement between the two parts “,” between what is the Palestinian State and the State of Israel “that there may also be security for Telavive.” From our point of view, it is also in Israel’s interest that this process has to move forward, “said the minister.
In the face of Netanyahu’s position, Rangel admitted to “understanding that there are different positions”, but stressed that what the Portuguese government intends to “facilitate a ceasefire, facilitate peace, locking the humanitarian catastrophe that is underway and also waging the expansion of colonates”, because this “makes it very difficult in the future, the existence of the Palestinian state in all its amplitude”. The minister assured that Portugal will always try to make “bridges”.
“We will never tire of this appeal to the government of Israel and the people of Israel to support a solution that is a peace solution, a solution that respects the United Nations resolutions, and allows everyone to live safely and in peace,” he said.
The head of Portuguese diplomacy also assured that the will of the Portuguese executive is “to have the best relations with the state of Palestine and the best relations, which are, in fact, traditional, with the state of Israel”.
“This is what we will continue to do, which is why we will continue to fight. We have no hesitation as to the idea that we want to have peaceful, fruitful, fruitful relationships with both states and that, of course, we want Israel to understand our position,” he said.
France and the United Kingdom leave the Telavive warning
In a reaction to Netanyahu’s words, the French government said it will respond with extreme firmness if Israel takes retaliation measures due to the recognition of the Palestinian state, such as the closing of its embassy, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said.
“I hope it does not reach this point (…). It is by no means of their interest [israelitas]”, He warned the minister, also he explained that the step taken on Sunday also “serves the safety of Israel.”
“Our analysis, our profound conviction, is that the Palestinian state means the end of Hamas and the security of Israel,” said the head of French diplomacy.
Also the United Kingdom warned the Israelite government against any retaliation The recognition of the state of Palestine, namely the annexation of more territory in the West Bank.
“I made clear to the Israeli Secretary of State that they should not do this, and I also made it clear that the decision we make is the best way to respect Israel and Palestinian security,” Yvette Cooper said in statements to the BBC public broadcaster.
From “courage” to “terrorism”
Palestine Ambassador in Lisbon, Rawan Sulaiman, considered that “recognition is the first practical step in sending a message that we have the right to life, to existence, to have our own state, to self -determination.”
“It is also a message for the current Israeli government, which has announced that it will do everything possible.”
The diplomat stressed that the Portuguese gesture “is not symbolic”, but a way of telling the world that “the Palestinian people have the right to exist and live like all the other peoples of the world.”
The President of the Palestinian Authority (AP), Mahmoud Abbas, also applauded the decision “brave“Portuguese, and emphasized that the current priority is to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the entry of humanitarian aid into the Enclave, the release of kidnappeds during the attacks of October 7, 2023 and the Palestinian prisoners, and to ensure the total withdrawal of the Enclave Israeli troops to allow the Palestinian state” to assume all its responsibilities. “
On Israel’s side, the Israeli ambassador in Lisbon rejected recognition, because in Israel’s view “it harms any perspective of peace and serves only to reward the terrorism“And” conveys the message that if they murder 1,200 Jews and massacre families, they will be rewarded. “And recalled that Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro listed a set of conditions,” not fulfilled “for the recognition of the Palestinian state.
“These conditions are the guarantee of the Palestinian Authority of a safe liberation of the hubes held by Hamas and the disarmament of the Palestinian Islamic Group in power in the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Authority must carry out internal reforms in order to predict presidential and legislative elections in the medium term, and recognize the State of Israel (as a Jewish state). Israelite.
The direction of the Israeli Community of Lisbon (Cil) considered in turn that the recognition of the Palestinian state by Portugal should have been waiting for “best opportunity”.
Presidential candidates Luís Marques Mendes and António José Seguro also greeted Portugal’s decision as a “important” step. Already the leader of arrives and also candidate for president of the Republic, André Ventura refused to assume a position on the recognition of Palestine.
“Our position is: liberate the hostages, end with terrorism, give rights to women and here we will be to do this conversation. They end with corruption, stop sponsoring terrorism. This is how democratic states should do,” said Ventura.
“We don’t recognize anyone. Let’s see, we never recognize the Islamic State either, we don’t recognize the countries that were dominated by the Islamic State, why? Because they were terrorists, because we’re talking about terrorism,” he said. André Ventura argued that one must also demand, to the other part, “that there is an end to terrorism, the financing of terrorism, corruption and, above all, the kidnapping and death of people.”
“It is very boring to make demonstrations on the street and people do not know what is going on there. In many of these places there is no opposition, who sends part of Palestine are a group of terrorists,” he said.
