Portugal has also announced its decision to recognize Palestine’s independence. Announcing this, the Portuguese Foreign Ministry stated that they have decided to recognize Palestine as an independent state and will officially announce this on September 21st. Portugal’s announcement of its decision to recognize Palestine’s independence comes at a time when many countries supporting Palestinian independence are preparing for a high-level meeting next week to discuss the matter. The participants of this meeting include some Western countries considered allies of Israel.
Portugal has decided to recognize Palestine as an independent state in opposition to the genocide being carried out by Israel against Muslims in Gaza. The number of martyrs in this genocide has risen to over 65,000. The majority of these are innocent women, children, and the elderly who are unable to move around. Additionally, the number of injured has risen to over 158,000. Last week, Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel announced that they were considering recognizing Palestine’s independence. While Portugal has decided to recognize Palestine’s independence, its neighboring country Spain took this step in May 2024. Along with Spain, countries that have recognized Palestine’s independence include Ireland and Norway.
Furthermore, some Western powers have also decided to recognize Palestine’s independence during the ongoing United Nations General Assembly session in New York. These include France and the United Kingdom. It also includes Australia and Canada, which are considered allies of Israel. Among the European Union (EU) member states, Sweden and Cyprus have also recognized Palestine’s independence.
