(July 20, 2026 \/ Porto Jewish Community)\n <\/p>\n
B\u2019nai B\u2019rith Portugal and the International Observatory for Human Rights (OIDH) presented a formal tribute to the State of Israel in recognition of its historic and ongoing role in defending Jewish culture and protecting Jewish communities around the world. The ceremony, held at the headquarters of B\u2019nai B\u2019rith Portugal, honored Israel as a cornerstone of Jewish continuity, resilience and security nearly eight decades after its establishment.<\/p>\n
The tribute, presented to Israeli Ambassador to Portugal Oren Rozenblat, recognizes that the creation of the State of Israel fundamentally transformed Jewish life after two millennia of dispersion and persecution, providing a homeland that has become a symbolic and cultural center and a guarantor of the Jewish people worldwide.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe pay tribute to the pivotal role of the State of Israel for almost eight decades in the unwavering defense of Jewish culture around the world,\u201d said Dr. Luis Andrade, president of the International Observatory for Human Rights. \u201cWithout the State of Israel, Jewish communities would have had no reason to feel safe and even confidence to exist, much less to promote Jewish culture.\u201d<\/p>\n
Representatives of Portugal\u2019s Jewish community emphasized that Jewish culture extends far beyond religious practice and is inseparable from the collective memory, identity and resilience of the Jewish people.<\/p>\n
\u201cJewish communities outside of Israel are not only dedicated to Judaism, but also to the promotion of Jewish culture,\u201d said Miriam Assor of the Jewish Community of Lisbon. \u201cThis encompasses everything necessary for group cohesion: defending tradition, defending the history of the Jewish people, defending the Jewish state and defending Jewish human rights. The collective memory of achievement, as well as tragedies of the past or present, is essential for group cohesion.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speakers also highlighted Israel\u2019s longstanding institutional commitment to Jewish communities across the Diaspora.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe State of Israel\u2019s commitment to the Diaspora has been formalized since 1948,\u201d said David Nataf, vice president of B\u2019nai B\u2019rith Portugal. \u201cThrough its government ministries, security agencies and national institutions, Israel works continuously to strengthen the resilience, security and confidence of Jewish communities worldwide at a time when antisemitism continues to rise.\u201d<\/p>\n
A letter from former director of the Portuguese Judicial Police Gil Rodrigues Carvalho was read during the ceremony, praising Israel\u2019s unique commitment to protecting Jews far beyond its own borders.<\/p>\n
\u201cSecular states generally don\u2019t really know what the Jewish reality is or even know how to rigorously define and understand what a Jew is. One thing they do know is that there is a connection between Jewish communities, the State of Israel and the vigilance that this state dedicates to protecting the communities. In this sense, it is impressive that such a small state in the Middle East has to deal and apparently deals so well with the multiple adversaries around it and still dedicates resources to protecting a diaspora of millions of people scattered across all continents,\u201d Carvalho wrote.<\/p>\n
Accepting the tribute, Rozenblat stressed the inseparable connection between Israel and Jewish communities worldwide.<\/p>\n
\u201cProtecting Jewish culture in the Diaspora and supporting the sovereignty of Israel are inextricably linked,\u201d Rozenblat said. \u201cWe look to the future knowing that the safety of Jewish life anywhere relies on the strength and security of the Jewish homeland, for Israel is home for every Jew. We are one.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rivka Rozenblat, who leads Jewish and Israeli cultural programming at the Israeli Embassy in Portugal, highlighted Israel\u2019s broader cultural significance.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe establishment and protection of the State of Israel serves as a profound guarantor of Jewish culture in the Diaspora,\u201d she said. \u201cIsrael\u2019s existence provides more than just a historical anchor and a safe haven. It acts as a cultural reservoir of collective memory.\u201d<\/p>\n
The International Observatory\u2019s tribute states that Israel\u2019s importance transcends national borders, recognizing its role in safeguarding Jewish heritage, defending Jewish human rights, and ensuring that \u201cJews will never again depend on the protection of others.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(July 20, 2026 \/ Porto Jewish Community) B\u2019nai B\u2019rith Portugal and the International Observatory for Human Rights (OIDH)…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":550430,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[85,46,43],"class_list":["post-550429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-israel","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/550429","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=550429"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/550429\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/550430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=550429"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=550429"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=550429"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}