The first socialist councilor on the Municipal Council of Guimarães, Ricardo Costa, addressed an open letter to the president of the local authority, Ricardo Araújo, following a recent meeting with the Israeli ambassador to Portugal, Oren Rozenblat. The letter was also signed by councilors Sérgio Silva, Gabriela Nunes, and Flávio Freitas, all from the Socialist Party.
In the letter, the PS clarifies that it does not oppose international cooperation, innovation, science, or foreign investment. However, it questions deepening institutional relations between the Municipality of Guimarães and representatives of Israel at a time marked by the situation in Gaza and accusations of violations of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. Ricardo Costa particularly criticized the official statement after the meeting, which pointed to the development of relations in areas such as technology, artificial intelligence, civil protection, advanced industry, and the space sector, without any reference to human rights or the humanitarian dimension of the conflict.
The socialist opposition leader distinguishes between investment by Israeli companies in Guimarães, which should be evaluated on its economic merits, and the Municipality establishing institutional relations with representatives of a State. The socialists question what concrete commitments were made at the meeting, whether cooperation with Israeli state entities is planned, what protocols are being prepared, and what municipal public resources may be involved.
The PS argues that Guimarães should continue to engage with the world, but considers that this openness should be accompanied by the defense of values. The letter concludes by questioning what kind of city Guimarães wants to project to the world: one that merely seeks economic opportunities, or one that also defends principles. The socialists request clarification on the Municipality's position regarding respect for human rights and international law in the institutional relations it establishes.
