Israelis flee occupied territories, jam Portuguese embassy in Tel Aviv

According to The Times of Israel, thousands of Israelis queued from the early hours of Saturday outside the Portuguese embassy in Tel Aviv to apply for Portuguese citizenship.

Recently, the Portuguese embassy in the occupied territories switched to in-person appointments in response to heavy traffic on its online booking system. This change led to long queues outside the embassy and revealed the large number of Israelis aiming to flee the occupied territories by acquiring citizenship from this European country.

The Times of Israel noted that the line of applicants for Portuguese citizenship, or those seeking to renew their Portuguese passports, extended from the embassy entrance all the way to an underground parking lot.

According to the Portuguese TRT website, Portugal granted the right to apply for citizenship in 2015 to Sephardic Jews who had been persecuted during the Inquisition in the 16th century.

However, due to the high volume of applications, the Portuguese government announced in 2023 that the law had achieved its purpose and introduced mandatory restrictions.

Since the start of the war and the Israeli regime’s genocide in October 2023 against the Gaza Strip, the number of Israelis seeking citizenship in other countries has increased.

Reports indicate that tens of thousands of Israelis have left the occupied territories since then, with a growing interest in obtaining Portuguese citizenship. Many of these Israelis aim to gain benefits such as free movement within the European Union, lower living costs, and easier access to European universities with reduced tuition fees.