The Portuguese parliament has overwhelmingly voted in favor of a resolution recognizing Nakba Day or “Day of Catastrophe,” when Israel was created at the expense of the forced expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homeland.
The parliament also praised the Palestinian struggle to obtain the right to self-determination.
At the same time, the Portuguese resolution condemned the Israeli regime’s expansionist and annexation policies, emphasizing the practices are in blatant violation of international laws.
It also called on the Portuguese government to take a clear position in defending the right of the Palestinian people as guaranteed by international conventions.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates welcomed the decision of the Portuguese parliament.
It described it as a true expression of the southern European country’s solidarity with the plight of Palestinians, which has been going on for 75 years.
It praised the decision as a first step towards the Portuguese government’s recognition of the State of Palestine, and a move on the path toward adopting resolutions that consider the Nakba a human tragedy.
Israel proclaimed its illegal existence on May 15, 1948 when about 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly expelled from their homeland. The day is known among Palestinians as the Day of Nakba, or catastrophe.
For the first time in its history, the United Nations commemorated the 75th anniversary of Nakba Day on May 15, 2023.
According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) organized the high-level special meeting at the UN’s New York headquarters.
The event was the first of its kind in the history of the world body pursuant to the General Assembly mandate of November 30, 2022.
