EJP supports Jewish Community on calls to Portuguese President to issue public apology for ‘Soviet-style Antisemitism’

“We know the Portuguese President is very sympathetic to the Jewish community and is a well-respected public figure, so such a pronouncement from his office will hopefully end this sordid episode,”

says Gabriel Senderowicz, President of the Jewish community.

The Jewish Community of Oporto has called on Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo Sousa to issue a public apology to the community and its representatives for what has been described as an anti-Semitic ‘witchhunt’ against it.

A letter sent to the President details how on 11th March 2022, the Oporto Synagogue, the Jewish Museum, and the houses of community leaders were unlawfully invaded by a large number of police officers, based on anonymous denunciations by criminals.

Last Saturday night, for the first time ever, the Jewishc community marked the “Day of Shame” by lighting the candles of a menorah in front of the Kadoorie Mekor Haim Synagogue and launching a YouTube video titled “Soviet-style Antisemitism in Portugal”. (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AWydZvsD70k&feature=youtu.be)

The letter sent to the President reads: “The heads of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Judiciary Police, shamefully instrumentalized the accusations, for political purposes, and told the world they were investigating possible crimes of active corruption, influence-trafficking, tax fraud, money laundering, forgery of documents and others.”