Rodrigo Sousa Castro, captain of the 1974 Portuguese Revolution, wrote on his personal Twitter account on Friday that "the Jews, as they dominate global finance [...] bought and have the vaccines they wanted. It's a kind of historical revenge."
He added, "And I won't say more until the Zionist bulldogs jump."
This statement began a controversy, which led the Israeli ambassador to Portugal to react to the comment by describing it as “primitive” antisemitism and ignorant racism.
“Como orgulhoso bulldog sionista posso prometer que se Israel desenvolver uma cura para a COVID-19, o Coronel Sousa e Castro terá acesso a ela caso precise. pic.twitter.com/JREVVBewsG
— Israel em Portugal (@IsraelinPT) February 7, 2021
Castro has already admitted that the generalization was "abusive," but denounced a "concerted action of bullying," the Portuguese newspaper Observador reported.
The following day, after deleting his previous tweet, Castro posted another subversive statement on the social media, reading, "A post in which I speak of Zionism and its crimes in Palestine was deleted because of the support of the nazi-Zionism legion. Our page it's now sanitized."
Um post em que falo do sionismo e dos seus crimes na Palestina valeu-me a fuga da minha página aqui no Tt da legião dos apoiantes dos nazi-sionistas. Página ficou mais higienizada.
— rodrigo sousa castro (@1963Cor) February 6, 2021
The Jewish Community of Oporto, Portugal also reacted to Castro's antisemitic comment, releasing the following statement.
"More than condemning antisemitic opinions of influential figures in Portuguese society, it is important to note that the State of Portugal does not prevent or punish the spread of stereotypes which, in the past, caused genocides among the world's Jewish population, and, in the present, call into question the respectability and security of Jews in general and Jewish communities in particular."
"At the same time, [Portugal's Jewish communities] have to ensure, by their own means, the protection of their members, properties, synagogues, museums and cemeteries," it said.