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A demonstration against soaring housing prices took place in the Portuguese city of Porto last Saturday, with demonstrators using anti-Semitic slogans blaming Jews and Zionists for the economic crisis, according to Porto’s Jewish community. He brandished a placard with a message written on it.
The signs included anti-Semitic slogans and calls to “cleanse the world of Jews.”
Other protesters drew inspiration from the Israel-Hamas war and anti-Israel rhetoric, chanting, “Don’t rent your home to Zionist murderers,” “We want a home to live in, and we will “will be liberated,” he told the people, “not Haifa or Boavista.” , No to the Zionist capital! ”
One of the signs points to Porto’s Boavista neighborhood, which has a synagogue and a growing Jewish population.
“In a city with the largest Jewish community in the country and home to decent, good Jewish businessmen, organized demonstrations marched for hours through the streets of Porto, sending an unmistakable message calling for violence. “Holding up an anti-Semitic sign that says so is a serious matter,” Gabriel Senderovic, president of the Porto Jewish Community, told Portuguese media. “This is an act that requires immediate action by the police.”
“One sign compared the city of Haifa to the Boavista neighborhood, where the community’s synagogue is located. Another sign referred to Jewish homeowners, which is a real threat to the city’s Jewish and Israeli residents. In a country of 10 million people, there are only 5,000 Jews, most of whom have arrived in the past decade, and the Jewish minority is struggling to find affordable housing. “Once again we are being accused of violating the fundamental rights of Portuguese people, including the right to access,” Senderowitz said. Added.
Dol Shapira, Israel’s ambassador to Portugal, also condemned the protests, saying, “While we support freedom of speech, these demonstrations are being exploited to spread anti-Semitic, racist and hateful ideas.” ” And that’s exactly what these signs indicate. It must be a line that must not be crossed within the scope of freedom of expression. ”
According to Global Citizen Solutions, the average cost of a three-bedroom rental apartment in Porto city center is €1,279 as of October 2023, 27% cheaper than an apartment in Portugal’s capital Lisbon. Portugal is also the cheapest country in Western Europe, according to International Living magazine.
Anti-Semitism plagues Porto’s Jewish community
The protests came amid a growing tide of anti-Semitism. Just three days after Hamas launched the October 7 terrorist attack that claimed more than 1,200 lives, a synagogue of Porto’s Jewish community was vandalized with pro-Palestinian messages.
“The vandalism of our synagogues was carried out by a group of people who called for “cleansing the Jewish world and the state of Israel between the river and the sea,” even though they had no idea where the Jews were. It shows how the city’s Jews are immediately condemned: “What is the sea, where are the rivers, and what is in between?” Violence and hatred against Portuguese Jews. “If this incitement continues, we may find ourselves in a situation where others will adopt these ideas and shoot innocent people,” Senderowitz said. In the streets out of blind hatred. ”
On Friday, February 2nd, Porto’s Jewish community accused demonstrators holding anti-Semitic signs and inciting discrimination, hatred and violence to Esquerda Net, the official newspaper of the Broco de Esquerda party. I filed a criminal complaint. Portugal’s current socialist government recently ended its term due to a series of corruption scandals.
The community has filed a complaint with the Attorney General asking for charges of inciting hatred and violence against Israel and its Jewish citizens and residents, and against the newspaper Esquerda.net. This criminal offense is punishable by one to eight years’ imprisonment under Portuguese law. .
After the demonstration, Esquerda.net published an article titled “Israeli capital increases real estate pressure in Porto.” This article presents Jews and Israelis living in Porto in a negative light, and the real estate sector in Porto, who came to Portugal by obtaining Portuguese nationality as part of the “Spanish Law” passed in 2015. It details the names of Israeli entrepreneurs working in . And until recently, Israeli citizens of Spanish or Portuguese origin were allowed to prove their ties to the country and subsequently gain the right to obtain Portuguese citizenship.
The incident has recently caused a stir in the Portuguese media, with many newspapers reporting on complaints filed by Porto’s Jewish community against individual protesters and newspapers.
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