The Jewish community in Oporto, the second largest city in Portugal, has claimed its members "suffer from the persecution of Jews and antisemitism" after the government changed its policy on providing citizenship to Sephardi Jews.
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Portuguese authorities have opened an investigation into allegations of corruption in the process for certifying the ancestry of Sephardic Jews applying for Portuguese citizenship. Within the framework of the investigation, authorities arrested Chief Rabbi Daniel Litvak, although Litvak was released shortly after. The local Jewish community has since ceased to assist the tens of thousands of Israelis that had been using the certification process to obtain Portuguese citizenship.
As a result of the investigation, Portugal decided to change the law to make it harder for almost every Jew whose name appears on a long list of those expelled from Spain and Portugal to receive citizenship. According to the new legislation, which will take effect in September, applicants will need to prove they have an actual connection to the European country, through owning property there or similar means. The change is expected to dramatically lower the number of citizenship requests, which were the prime source of income for the community.
"This is the greatest attack on the Jewish community in Europe in the 21st century," the head of Oporto's Jewish community Gabriel Senderowicz said. "We are disappointed that no Jewish organization has found it fitting to stand with us."
Over the weekend, the community issued its response to the Portuguese parliament's decision to rescind the 2015 law allowing descendants of those expelled from Spain or Portugal to obtain Portuguese citizenship. In a letter to lawmakers, the community head raised unprecedented claims of antisemitic persecution and acts he said were reminiscent of the Spanish Inquisition.
"The Jewish community in the city is disappointed by the lack of solidarity among the Jewish organizations operating around the world today, in particular those that were our partners over the last decade. We were all dumbfounded by the futile lawsuit conceived by government representatives and journalists on the basis of anonymous messages. Even the Israeli Embassy in Portugal, whose cultural activity has received hundreds of thousands of euros of support in recent years, has not said a word of support," Senderowicz said.
"Beginning in 2020, a grave defamation campaign was launched against this legislation and against the Jewish community in Portugal. Various regime members claimed that 'the candidates for citizenship were looking for passports of convenience' and that 'there are tens of millions of candidates' and that citizenship is given relatively easy and in return for payments that go to lawyers, genealogists, and the Jewish communities in Portugal," he said.
According to the community head, "The police invaded the city's Kadoorie Synagogue as if it was a brothel and rushed to the home of the vice president of the community in the search for bags of cash."
He said Litvak was detained for investigation over "false accusations by anonymous sources." He said the rabbi "experienced a humiliating arrest that lasted for 24 hours during which he was forced to provide police with forensic evidence in violation of the law; was withheld from access to kosher food; stripped of his traditional [Jewish] clothing, including tzizit, tallit, and teffilin; and even had his prayer book confiscated. He was put in a holding cell with an alleged murderer and another man arrested on suspicion of committing armed robbery."
The community leader further claimed the rabbi was asked "ridiculous questions" before a court and that he was ultimately freed and continued to issue certificates for those eligible for Portuguese citizenship.
"Nevertheless, the Jewish community of Oporto's board of directors has decided to suspend this activity as it refuses to cooperate with a country that has launched an antisemitic incitement campaign against an organized Jewish community on the basis of anonymous messages from Jew haters," Senderowicz said.
Community representatives claim that while the Jewish communities in Portugal and Oporto in particular have flourished over the last decade, they have also seen an increase in antisemitic incidents. "During this period, Oporto has transformed from a city with dozens of Jewish community members to a city with a vibrant community of around 700 members. At the same time, centers for young Jews; kosher restaurants, stores, and factories have been opened, a Jewish museum was established, a large Chabad center was opened, a Holocaust museum and Jewish cinema were opened and three full-length feature films that tell the story of Spain and Portugal's Jews were even produced," he noted.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said: "The Israeli Embassy in Portugal cherishes the work of the important Jewish community in Portugal and all its communities and institutions and will continue to support and work shoulder to shoulder with it for its growth and prosperity as the State of Israel works with all the Jewish communities in the world. The embassy is in ongoing contact with the Jewish community in Oporto."
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