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Portugal moves to end Sephardic Jewish citizenship law
MADRID (JTA) — Portugal’s parliament has advanced a bill that would end the country’s citizenship law for descendants of Sephardic Jews who were expelled during the Spanish Inquisition.
The bill, which could take effect on Jan. 1, passed a first reading on Friday with backing from the ruling Socialist Party after heated debate. It will next be reviewed and potentially amended by parliament’s Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms, and Guarantees Committee.
Speaking to parliament on Monday, Justice Minister Catarina Sarmento e Castro said the citizenship law has been a “fair recognition” and a “duty of historical reparation.” But she argued that it has served its purpose, saying it was a “symbolic gesture intended to mark a recognition that has been fulfilled through a generous time window.”
Discussions in parliament over the next several weeks could push the end date for applications to Dec. 31, 2024.
According to the latest figures, approximately 262,000 individuals had applied for naturalization under the law by the end of 2022, and around 75,000 were granted citizenship. Even since the introduction of stricter regulations in September 2022, over 74,000 applied in the past year. Notably, nearly 21,000 applicants were Israeli citizens, as highlighted by statistics from the Portuguese Immigration and Border Service.
Some members of parliament expressed reservations about the move to close the citizenship pathway. Representative Patrícia Gilvaz of the Liberal Initiative party argued against shutting down the law so soon, suggesting a postponement until 2025. Pedro Delgado Alves from the Socialist Party acknowledged the need for a review, suggesting a three-year residence requirement in Portugal for applicants rather than the standard five years.
But the Communist Party’s Alma Rivera questioned the law’s continued relevance. In contrast, Paula Cardoso from the Social Democratic Party suggested addressing abuses of the application system without repealing it altogether.
Portugal introduced this route to citizenship in 2015, rooted in 2013 legislation, and Spain soon followed suit with a “Law of Return.” Unlike Spain’s version, Portugal’s law was less stringent, demanding only a clear criminal record and verifiable Sephardic lineage certificate, typically vouched for by major Jewish communities in Lisbon or Porto.
That application process faced skepticism last year following allegations of fraud and corruption. One high-profile case involved Roman Abramovich, a Russian-Jewish billionaire whose Portuguese naturalization drew criticism amid geopolitical events, particularly Russia’s Ukraine invasion, as it emerged that his European citizenship could potentially help him avoid European sanctions on Russian oligarchs.
In light of the controversies, the vetting process tightened. Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva noted that Sephardic Jewish applicants had to establish a “genuine connection” with Portugal. The stricter regulations also spurred divisions within the country’s Jewish communities, leading to legal investigations into Porto’s application review process and the detention of the Porto Jewish community’s Rabbi, Daniel Litvak.
Spain stopped accepting applications for its Sephardic citizenship law in 2021.
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The post Portugal moves to end Sephardic Jewish citizenship law appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Treasure Trove: If you own a share like this, Israel could owe you some money
The Jewish Colonial Trust was established on March 20, 1899. The first Zionist bank was the brainchild of Theodor Herzl who understood that funding would be required to make his vision of a Jewish homeland a reality. Each share cost one English pound, the equivalent of $280 today. (Herzl bought the first 1,000 shares which was a […]
The post Treasure Trove: If you own a share like this, Israel could owe you some money first appeared on The Canadian Jewish News.
The post Treasure Trove: If you own a share like this, Israel could owe you some money appeared first on The Canadian Jewish News.
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Palestinian Detained after West Bank Terror Ramming
Illustrative: Israeli police at the scene of a car-ramming terrorist attack near a market in Jerusalem on Monday, April 24, 2023. Photograph: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters.
JNS.org – A Palestinian rammed his vehicle into a cop car in the West Bank on Saturday in what the military was investigating as a terror attack.
The incident occurred at the Eli gas station, the scene of repeated acts of terrorism against Israelis.
“A Palestinian vehicle accelerated towards a police car and collided with it, there were no casualties,” according to the Israel Defense Forces.
“Troops caught the terrorist and transferred him to security forces for further investigation,” added the statement.
On Sunday, three Israeli police officers were killed in a drive-by shooting near the Tarqumiya checkpoint, some 7.5 miles northwest of Hebron in Judea.
They were named as Chief Inspector Arik Ben Eliyahu, 37, of Kiryat Gat, who is survived by his wife and three children; Command Sgt. Maj. Hadas Branch, 53, of Sde Moshe, who is survived by her husband, three children and granddaughter; and 1st Sgt. Roni Shakuri, 61, of Sderot, who is survived by his wife, daughter and granddaughter.
Shakuri’s other daughter, 1st Sgt. Mor Shakuri, 29, was killed on Oct. 7 while battling an attempt by Hamas terrorists to take control of the police station in Sderot, in southern Israel near the border with Gaza.
The post Palestinian Detained after West Bank Terror Ramming first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Ukraine Concerned at Reports of Iranian Ballistic Missiles to Russia
A missile unveiled by Iran is launched in an unknown location in Iran in this picture received by Reuters on August 20, 2020. WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
Ukraine’s foreign ministry said on Saturday it was deeply concerned by reports about a possible impending transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia.
In a statement emailed to reporters, the ministry said the deepening military cooperation between Tehran and Moscow was a threat to Ukraine, Europe and the Middle East, and called on the international community to increase pressure on Iran and Russia.
CNN and The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that Iran had transferred short-range ballistic missiles to Russia, citing unidentified sources.
Reuters reported in August that Russia was expecting the imminent delivery of hundreds of Fath-360 close-range ballistic missiles from Iran and that dozens of Russian military personnel were being trained in Iran on the satellite-guided weapons for eventual use in the war in Ukraine.
On Friday, the United States, a key ally of Ukraine, also voiced concern about the potential transfer of missiles.
“Any transfer of Iranian ballistic missiles to Russia would represent a dramatic escalation in Iran’s support for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett said.
Iran’s mission to the United Nations in New York said on Friday that Tehran’s position on the Ukraine conflict was unchanged.
“Iran considers the provision of military assistance to the parties engaged in the conflict – which leads to increased human casualties, destruction of infrastructure, and a distancing from ceasefire negotiations – to be inhumane,” it said.
“Thus, not only does Iran abstain from engaging in such actions itself, but it also calls upon other countries to cease the supply of weapons to the sides involved in the conflict.”
The post Ukraine Concerned at Reports of Iranian Ballistic Missiles to Russia first appeared on Algemeiner.com.