Portugal will recognize a Palestinian state on Sunday ahead of the U.N. General Assembly meeting in New York City, the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed in a statement on Friday.
The Palestinian Authority described the decision as “a courageous step that is consistent with international law and United Nations resolutions and supports efforts to achieve peace and implement the two-state solution.”
Lisbon has joined France, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and other Western countries in announcing its intention to recognize “Palestine.”
Israeli officials have repeatedly denounced the initiative as a reward for terrorism, following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre.
Meanwhile, the U.N. General Assembly on Friday voted to allow P.A. chief Mahmoud Abbas to address next week’s annual gathering of world leaders by video link, after the Trump administration refused to grant him and other Palestinian officials a visa.
“It is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and P.A. accountable for not complying with their commitments and for undermining the prospects for peace,” the State Department wrote in a memo explaining the move.
“Before the PLO and P.A. can be considered partners for peace, they must consistently repudiate terrorism, including the Oct. 7 massacre, and end incitement to terrorism in education,” it added.
