- Portugal to nominate EU-envoy to the Middle East

Lisbon 2 March 2007 – The Portuguese EU-presidency, which beginns on July 1, will nominate an EU-ambassador to the Middle East in an attempt to revive the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

- " This move is part of a plan to give more attention to troubled areas in the world", says Isabel Pedrosa from the Portuguese Foreign Ministry in Lisbon. On Wednesday a small delegation from the ECI met with Pedrosa to raise issues of concern for Israel during the upcoming six month Portuguese EU-presidency.

Portugal, a member of the EU since 1986, is playing a major role in the European Union with their former prime minister, Jose Barroso, now the current president of the European Commission. According to Member of Parliament Joao Rebelo several key cabinet members and parliamentarians are committed friends of Israel. Rebelo is the current chairman of the Portuguese parliamentary friendship group with Israel, and was the official host of the ECI visit in the parliament. The friendship group consists of members from all political parties, except for the old Communists.

- " But when we passed a resolution condemning the Iranian Holocaust denial conference in Teheran all political parties, without exceptions", supported the resolution, says Rebelo.

One reason for the sympathetic view on Israel may have to do with their recent experience of a dictatorship. Portugal was a military dictatorship until 1974.

- " Israel remains the only free democratic society in the whole Middle East and it should not be difficult for anyone to support such a society", says Rebelo.

Another reason may be the marginal influence of the Muslim community in Portugal.

- " Muslim fundamentalism has not been a major issue in Portugal where the Muslims are relatively well integrated", explains Rebelo." On the contrary, on Holocaust day the Imam of the main mosque in Lisbon took part in the commemoration event. He was also one of the few imams in Europe not to protest against the speech of pope Benedict XVI in Regensburg", explains Rebelo.

His claims are supported by José Oulman Bensaude Carp, who is the chairman of the small but old Jewish community in Portugal. He believes thatPortugal lacks anti-Semitism simply because most Portuguese have Jewish backgrounds themselves.

-" In the 14th century twenty percent of the population where Jewish", he explains

Others are less optimistic.

- “Portugal is primarily a pro-Arabic country, say some evangelical leaders who the delegation have spoken to. But they still admit that in comparison with many other European countries the Portuguese government is still rather mild in their criticism of Israel.

According to some pastors a change started to take place in the mid 1990´s when Christians publicly asked for forgiveness for the role of the Church in the Inquisition. Later on, at the anniversary of 500 year since the expulsion of the Jews from Portugal, both the parliament and the president of Portugalofficially apologized for the inquisition.

During their meetings in Lisbon the ECI expressed their concern about the new Palestinian unity government which brings together Hamas and Fatah, stressing that “Europe cannot back away from the three pre-conditions for recognizing a Palestinian government and resume direct funding.”

- "Compromising on these pre-conditions, namely; recognition of Israel, an end of violence and respect for previous agreements, would send out the wrong signal to the unity government. These are conditions which the EU has decided on and they need to remain firm", says Tomas Sandell of the ECI.

- "EU also needs to continue to put pressure on the Iranian government to give up its nuclear program. The sanctions are bearing fruit and we need to involve also the business community and civil society to further isolate the current government and to support the opposition." says Sandell. Thedelegation also raised the issue of the three kidnapped Israeli soldiers, out of which two are held by Hizbollah inside Lebanon.

- " The Lebanese government  is obliged to apply to the Geneva convention and immediately let the Israeli authorities know about the location and condition of the two kidnapped soldiers ," says vice-chairman Helmut Specht.The Coalition was well received by the Portuguese EU-presidency and was invited back to Lisbon in September for further meetings with the government and the president of the parliament.