Portugal joins 12 countries sanctioning Israeli settlements

Portugal has joined a coordinated international move against Israeli settlements, one of the biggest such steps yet by Western governments. It's Wednesday, 9 September. Twenty-six degrees. Air quality: 37 (Good). Here's what you need to know.

🗞️ PORTUGAL JOINS 12 COUNTRIES SANCTIONING TRADE WITH ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS

Portugal is one of 12 countries that announced on Tuesday they will introduce, or actively consider, restrictions on trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. The others are Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The move came in a joint statement from the 12 foreign ministers, prompted by what they called "unprecedented levels of settler violence and settlement expansion."

The statement said the countries would "introduce national and/or support European restrictions on trade in goods with settlements which are illegal under international law," each acting through its own national procedures. In plain terms, the goods being targeted are those produced in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, not Israeli goods generally. Ireland and Spain had already taken similar measures, and the UK went furthest on the day, with its foreign minister announcing an outright import ban on settlement goods.

Some background for why this matters. Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War. More than 500,000 Israelis now live in settlements there, which the United Nations and the International Court of Justice consider illegal under international law, a characterisation Israel rejects. The 12 governments say the settlements, and a recent surge in violence by settlers against Palestinian villages, are destroying the prospect of a two-state solution, the long-standing framework under which an Israeli and a Palestinian state would exist side by side. They called on the Israeli government to halt settlement expansion, hold violent settlers accountable, and investigate allegations against its own forces.

Israel opposes the measures. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue building settlements despite the international pressure, and his government views steps like these as one-sided. The sanctions target settlement trade specifically rather than Israel as a whole, but they mark a clear hardening of position among a group of Western states that have traditionally been cautious.

For readers here, the direct day-to-day impact is limited: this is a foreign-policy and trade measure, not something that changes life in Lisbon. But it is a notable move by the Portuguese government, it puts Portugal alongside the UK, France and Canada on one of the most divisive issues in global politics, and it is the kind of decision expat readers with ties to the countries involved will want to understand clearly. Portugal has generally favoured a two-state solution and recognised the State of Palestine in 2024, so the step is consistent with its stated position rather than a sudden reversal.

Bottom line: Portugal has joined a significant, coordinated Western move to restrict trade with West Bank settlements that the UN considers illegal under international law. It changes little in Lisbon, but it places Portugal firmly among the governments now willing to put economic pressure behind their objections.

⚡ QUICK HITS

The government has survived Chega's no-confidence motion. As expected, parliament rejected the motion brought by André Ventura's party over Interior Minister Luís Neves, with only Chega voting in favour and the other parties either opposing or abstaining. It never had the numbers, a no-confidence motion needs an absolute majority to bring down the government, and the Socialists had already ruled out supporting it. Neves keeps his job, the minority PSD government survives, and the main effect is to underline how isolated Chega was on this, despite weeks of noise. It is the third such motion the party has lost.

Around 500 police officers are to be freed up for the streets in a PSP reorganisation. The PSP, the public security police, plan to move officers out of administrative and back-office roles and into frontline policing, part of the response to mounting concern about visible security in Lisbon. It follows weeks of pressure, including Mayor Carlos Moedas saying he was "alarmed" by the security situation and the government's still-unfulfilled promise of 200 extra officers for the capital. Whether a reorganisation delivers what new hires have not remains to be seen, but it is a concrete step after a summer of violent incidents on the city's outskirts.

Portugal still has around 2,000 unfilled teaching posts a week before the school year starts. With classes due to begin next week, the shortage means thousands of pupils could start the year without a teacher in at least one subject, a problem that has recurred for several years and hits the Lisbon and Algarve regions hardest. It is the education system's version of a staffing crunch now visible across Portuguese public services, from hospitals short of anaesthetists to emergency rooms losing their department heads. For families in the newsletter with children in the state system, it is worth asking the school directly which subjects are covered.

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🍽️ SPOT OF THE DAY

ROSE STUPA (ARROIOS

Rose Stupa looks like nothing much from the street, a modest snack bar on Rua de Ponta Delgada in Arroios, near the metro and the Arco do Cego garden. Step inside and it turns out to be one of the highest-rated restaurants in the entire city, holding a 4.9 on TripAdvisor across hundreds of reviews and ranked among the top hundred of Lisbon's five-thousand-plus restaurants. The draw is Indian and Nepalese home cooking at prices that feel like a mistake in this part of town, served by a host, Anil, whom reviewers name as often as the food.

Start with the chamuças, the local name for samosas, fried pastry parcels of spiced filling, which come up again and again as some of the best in Lisbon. From there it is proper curry territory: the chicken mango curry, the lamb Stupa special, and dal (a spiced lentil stew) and paneer (soft Indian cheese) for vegetarians. If you want something Nepalese, order the momos, steamed dumplings, or the Nepali Thali, a tasting platter that brings you six different dishes on one tray. Portions are generous, the bill is small, and vegetarian and vegan options are easy to find.

It is open every day except Sunday, 9am to 11pm. It is small and popular, so booking ahead is wise.

→ Find them here ←

Insider tip: it is small and fills up fast, especially at weekends, so go early or book ahead. Do not be put off by the plain snack-bar look from the street, that is half the reason regulars love it.

📅 WHAT'S ON

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