The advice to the Palestinians was given by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa: they must “be moderate, otherwise they will lose their minds”; be “calm and careful”; be “prudent, intelligent, and peaceful.” “After all, radicalism generates more radicalism” and, says the head of state: “This time it was someone from your side who started it. You should not have done that.”

The recipient of the statements? The head of the Palestinian diplomatic mission in Portugal, Nabil Abuznaid. At the Diplomatic Bazaar in Lisbon (where several foreign representations gathered selling regional products), the Palestinian representative thanked him for the visit at a “very difficult time”, due to the conflicts with Israel, after the Hamas attack on October 7. And the President of the Republic (PR) replied: “It’s a difficult period. But you know, I think it will very much depend on you. You have to be an example of moderation,” even though “this time the radicalism” started “on the part of some Palestinians, of course, a group.”

Nabil Abuznaid listened to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and challenged him, eventually telling him directly: “This does not serve as an excuse for the brutal response” that Israel carried out, arguing that “the occupation must end.” “We must stop this war now. More people are dying,” he called, saying that Palestine “has been under occupation for 56 years.” Marcelo still replies, “I know, but they shouldn’t have started,” before leaving and saying, “Well, let’s see what happens.” Abuznaid later opined that the PR’s statements, calling Hamas indistinguishable from the Palestinians, were dishonest.

Confronted with the first reactions, the president justified himself hours later in Golegã. The argument is that he asked for “moderation, which makes possible paths” for what is desired: “May there be peace, may there be respect for people and the possibility of building two states.” “The terrorist attack as it occurred served as a pretext (…) that does not facilitate our goal of having a Palestinian state and an Israeli state.” “And then I even added ‘fortunately the Palestinians as a whole cannot be confused with the terrorist attack of a very specific group’,” declared.

The left criticizes statements

Despite the justifications given by the President of the Republic, the left parties reacted quickly.

Even before the President of the Republic spoke in Golegã, the left-wing bloc already responded. This happened on the social network X (formerly Twitter), run by leader Mariana Mortágua. “In Gaza, the ethnic cleansing plan is being carried out as collective punishment under an argument – “someone on the Palestinian side started this”. Marcelo told the Palestinian ambassador: it is an embarrassment to Portugal. #NãoEmMeuName”.

Then it was Paulo Raimundo, Secretary General of the PCP, who responded during a vigil for peace in the Middle East. There he opined that the President of the Republic knows that “the root of this conflict is 75 years old.” Therefore, according to the communist leader, “there is nothing that justifies what is happening right now. The President of the Republic seems to have forgotten the historical context this time.”

Finally, the PS leaders spoke out. Also at [que controla Gaza] and the Palestinian Authority.” And then Isabel Moreira, also a deputy: “Shouldn’t they have started? WHO? He confuses Palestinians with Hamas and says they should be moderate now (Palestinians, victims of Hamas of course),” he criticized.