“Nobody has done for the cause of the two states what this government has done to date,” said the government’s number two, Paulo Rangel, at the PSD Summer University, an initiative to train young executives, in a panel titled “A world with more radicalisms?”.
On the contrary, he said, “people who claim to be the great defenders had eight years to recognise Palestine and didn’t”, in a reference to the PS governments led by António Costa.
“The Left Bloc, which is taking up this humanitarian cause, which is certainly commendable, these people influenced the Socialist government for six years. A decisive influence. And did they do anything? What did they do? It’s easy to talk when you’re outside. But when you’re in government, these people don’t do it,” he criticised.
Left Bloc coordinator Mariana Mortágua will be part of the Humanitarian Flotilla that will leave for Gaza this week to deliver aid to the population and break the Israeli siege. For Paulo Rangel, the positions of the PS and BE on this issue can even be categorised as populist.
“Populism is when I’m in government, or when I can confront the government, I haven’t been able to do anything, but then as soon as I go into opposition, I’m doing crazy things and I’m the biggest champion of everything,” he said.
The government’s number two reiterated that it was this government that revoked the licence for arms exports to Israel in April 2024.
Curiously, the people who criticised me and the government for not having recognised [the State of Palestine] yet were the people who had that valid permit there,” he said, considering that “deeply unfair” criticism has been levelled at the PSD/CDS-PP government, as well as at himself and the prime minister.
On the same panel, former socialist minister Nuno Severiano Teixeira, current president of the board of the Portuguese Institute of International Relations (IPRI) at Universidade Nova, said he was “highly in favour” of Portugal recognising the State of Palestine.
In this regard, Rangel reiterated what has been the government’s position, that this recognition “has to have some useful consequence”, recalling that Portugal is working with other like-minded countries, such as Greece, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg or France.
“I’ve had six official meetings with the prime minister of Palestine. I’ve never had the prime minister of the Palestinian Authority criticise the Portuguese government, on the contrary,” he stressed.
Also on this point, the foreign minister lamented the fact that the media gives less coverage to those who have “a moderate position” and “are working on the ground to improve conditions”. “Everyone is always chasing people who are now going on a boat to do something symbolic,” he added.
Platform with Lusa
