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The Portuguese Parliament approved the Draft Vote no. 207/XV, "Of Solidarity with the Palestinian People", presented on 6 December last by the Communist Party Parliamentary Group, which thus joined the solidarity expressed on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, promoted annually by the United Nations.

The Vote was considered by the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Assembly of the Republic in its meeting of 3 January 2023 and was approved with the favourable vote of the Communist and Socialist parliamentary groups; the Social Democratic and Chega (far right) parliamentary groups votied against, and the Liberal Initiative parliamentary group abstained. The Block of the Left, PAN (Persons, Animals, Nature) and Free Party were not represented.

This is the text approved:

Draft Vote No. 207/XV/1.a

In Solidarity with the Palestinian People

The City Council of Palmela, in the district of Setubal, unanimously approved, on the past 7th of December, a motion in which it deliberates to "join, once again, the celebrations of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People and the struggle for self-determination of the Palestinian people" and to "continue to demand the fulfilment of the United Nations Resolutions, the respect for International Law and the end of the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories by Israel".

The motion begins by recalling that 29 November marked 75 years since the adoption of the so-called "Partition Resolution", "from the outset, unusual because the UN was not vested with any sovereignty over the country" and "while the state of Israel was quickly formalised, the independent state of Palestine never materialised."

This November 29th marks the passage of three quarters of a century since the approval of Resolution 181 by the UN General Assembly, providing for the partition of Palestine, then under British Mandate. But if in 1948 the State of Israel was created, no independent State of Palestine has ever seen the light of day.

The decolonization of Palestine never took place. The British colonizer was replaced by a state of settlers from the four corners of the world, which not only appropriated a territory that far exceeded what was foreseen in Resolution 181 of 1947, but has maintained, since 1967, the remaining Palestinian territory under occupation.

As part of the Journeys of Solidarity with Palestine 2022, MPPM received the invitation of the Real República Ay-Ó-Linda, a fraternity in the university city of Coimbra, to animate a debate on the Palestinian Question.

The session, which took place on Wednesday, November 23rd, was moderated by Carlos Almeida, vice-president of the MPPM, and counted with the active participation of members of the fraternity and other students.

He addressed the historical roots of the Palestinian Question and the daily occupation and segregation to which the Palestinian people are subjected.

A lively and participated debate followed, and perspectives were opened for future initiatives in Coimbra