The Ukraine-war started a discussion about the Portuguese passport to Abramovitch, often based on suppositions rather than facts. He has been an active member of the Jewish Russian Community; otherwise he wouldn’t be a member of the board.
He gives regularly grants to that community, which is a normal procedure among Jews all over the world. I don´t say he is a good or bad man, I don´t know.
Portugal has a Law aimed at acquiring the Portuguese nationality by naturalization, to descendants of Sephardic Portuguese Jews, through the demonstration of belonging to a Sephardic community of Portuguese origin. Jews played a role at the conquest of Santarém, strategically vital for the conquest of Lisbon. Also in the revolution of 1383, which allowed the consolidation of Portugal. The Jews lived fully integrated throughout our territory, working sometimes in key positions at the service of the Kingdom. The first book ever in Portugal was printed by a Jew. The astronomy experts who supported the Portuguese discoveries were Jews.
After the killing of thousands in Lisbon, Dom Manuel started in 1496 the expulsion of Jews, solely for religious reasons. President Mário Soares apologised the Jewish people in 1989, later on also president Jorge Sampaio.
This Sephardic Nationality Law enshrines a right of reparation and not an attribution of nationality based on states of mind or convenience policies. The Jewish communities only attest the tradition of belonging to a Portuguese Sephardic community that supports the claim of the applicant. It is up to the Minister of Justice to attribute the nationality.
Most of Sephardic Jews returning now bring not only capital, but also new technology and a network of clients, as for client-support in many different languages. And as in agrotech, controlling watering in fields and in rising fruits and vegetables. Good for our competitiveness and exports.
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As a matter of history, although D Manuel decreed the expulsion of the Jews in 1496, he reversed his policy six months later, and decreed the retention, followed by the forced conversion, of all Jews in Portugal. This disastrous action made suspects and victims for the Inquisition for the next 300 years.