(Jewish Group) Porto Jews decry 'Soviet-style antisemitism' as lucrative citizenship vetting probed

If you’re a Jew considering immigrating, your coreligionists in this coastal city would like you to know that it has a thriving, diverse and tight-knit Jewish community with superb amenities that are conveniently located in a modern metropolis where you can live and worship safely.

Also, Porto Jews are the victims of an ongoing campaign of “Soviet-style antisemitism” and intimidation by Portuguese authorities, its leaders recently told dozens of Jewish visitors from overseas.

This conflicted and disputed message, which the community has been propagating in recent months, is the result of intense wrangling over an eight-year-old law that grants Portuguese citizenship to descendants of Sephardic Jews who had been expulsed in the Portuguese Inquisition of 1536.

Celebrated initially for its magnanimity, the pathway was pared back this year amid allegations of fraud involving the Porto community’s role vetting citizenship applications. Criminal probes ensued, prompting claims by the community that authorities were antisemitic. The community now faces counter-accusations that it’s weaponizing the fight against antisemitism to avoid scrutiny.

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