The socialist MEP admits “the missed opportunity” on the part of the socialist government by not recognizing the State of Palestine, considering that it would have been an “absolutely necessary” call.
Socialist MEP Marta Temido considered this Friday a “missed opportunity” that the PS Government did not recognize the State of Palestine, adding, however, that this decision would not stop the division of European positions on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
“We possibly could have done it [o reconhecimento do Estado Palestiniano] when we were in Government. Very recently the former minister [dos Negócios Estrangeiros] João Cravinho ended up saying that it should have happened already. In some ways I feel like it was a missed opportunity, because at least this step could have been taken,” he said.
Marta Temido considered, however, that not even this decision would inhibit the divided positions among the 27.
“But it would have been one more step that would have been taken and unfortunately it is an extreme situation in which small steps also matter.“, he concluded in statements to Lusa, within the framework of a European Parliament training course for young journalists that took place at the headquarters of the Lusa agency, in Lisbon, with four MEPs.
On this occasion, the former Minister of Health addressed the challenge of bringing together European, but also Portuguese, voices and calling for the recognition of the State of Palestine and the suspension of the association agreement of the European Union with Israel.
Marta Temido defended that it was a “Absolutely necessary call” with a view to “pressing for an immediate ceasefire” in the region, but also so that there is humanitarian aid, the release of hostages and “recovery of respect for international order.”
At the end of May, Spain and Ireland – and also Norway – recognized the State of Palestine.
The Government of Luís Montenegro (PSD/CDS-PP) has insisted that this is a matter under “permanent evaluation.” In May, Portugal voted in favor of Palestine being recognized as a full member at the UN.
Social Democrat Helder Sousa Silva said that, on a personal level, he considers that the recognition of the Palestinian State “should have happened a long time ago“, adding that “in the case of the PSD, there are no major disagreements on the matter.”
Regarding the EU-Israel agreement, the MEP conveyed a “position of principle that if there is a basis” and “unanimity”, its suspension is something that “does not shock” and could be studied.
The communist João Oliveira recalled having already addressed a question in this sense to the Commission and the European Council about the implications of the agreement, which “goes far beyond the space of political-diplomatic connection”, by including commercial relations or access to European funding. which ends up “helping Israeli companies develop war technologies.”
Thus, a text has already been “advanced that can serve as a basis” for a single position of the MEPs.
On the side of the Left Bloc, Catarina Martins reaffirmed her criticism of Israel, condemning the “unbearable duplicity” of the European Union.
“While you can rightly say about Ukraine that Ukraine has the right to its territory and self-determination and you rightly condemn Russia and its invasion, you are silent in relation to Israel and the genocide that is happening before our eyes and also needs to be done with the money from Europeans,” he argued.
The blocker recalled that Europe is “Israel’s largest trading partner” thanks to the association agreement, which did not suffer any sanctions and “there is not even an arms embargo.”
The war in the Gaza Strip was triggered by a Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which left around 1,200 dead, mostly civilians, and more than two hundred hostages.
In retaliation, Israel launched a large-scale offensive in the Palestinian enclave, where more than 42,000 people have been killed, most of them civilians, according to the local government controlled by Hamas since 2007.
Source: Observadora
