Full Breakdown
Portuguese Citizens Honored in OIDH Tribute to Oct. 7 Hamas Attack Victims
6/16/2026, 1:03:47 PM
The OIDH Tribute: Honoring 25 Portuguese-Israeli Victims
The International Human Rights Observatory (OIDH) issued a formal tribute to the victims of Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023 assault on southern Israel. The statement commemorates the 1,140 people killed, 3,400 wounded and 247 hostages taken, while giving special recognition to the 25 individuals who held Portuguese citizenship. Seventeen of those Portuguese citizens were murdered; eight were abducted and later rescued after enduring severe trauma. The tribute was presented to Gabriela Cantergi, president of B’nai B’rith Portugal, with a request that it be forwarded to Israeli and Jewish authorities.
Historical Context: Portuguese Jewry and the Sephardic Legacy
Portugal once hosted one of the world’s largest Jewish communities before the 1497 expulsion and forced conversions. The tribute links the Oct. 7 victims to this legacy, noting that many of the Portuguese-Israeli families trace their roots to Sephardic communities across North Africa, the former Ottoman Empire, the Balkans and other regions. The remembrance therefore serves both as a memorial to the recent tragedy and as a reaffirmation of centuries-long Portuguese Jewish contributions to global culture, intellect and civic life.
Key Organizations and Voices
- International Human Rights Observatory (OIDH) – issuer of the tribute; led by President Dr. Luis Andrade.
- B’nai B’rith Portugal – recipient of the tribute; represented by President Gabriela Cantergi.
- Porto Jewish Community – represented by David Garrett, who contextualized the victims within Portuguese Jewish history.
Data & Statistics
- Total casualties from the Oct. 7 attack: 1,140 killed, 3,400 wounded, 247 hostages.
- Portuguese-citizen victims: 25 individuals (17 murdered, 8 rescued after kidnapping).
- Nationalities among the Portuguese victims also included French, British and Argentine citizenships.
Official Statements & Responses
Dr. Luis Andrade emphasized that the Oct. 7 atrocities crossed borders, affecting Jewish communities worldwide, and highlighted the diverse Sephardic origins of the Portuguese victims. Gabriela Cantergi expressed deep empathy, noting that even far from the conflict, Portugal felt the suffering of the victims and underscored the shared humanity that binds peoples together. David Garrett linked the remembrance of the 25 victims to the broader narrative of Portuguese Jewish history, citing historic figures whose contributions spanned multiple continents.
Criticism & Opposition
The provided sources do not present any dissenting viewpoints or criticism regarding the tribute.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Their stories serve as a powerful reminder that the atrocities of October 7 transcended borders and nationalities, touching Jewish communities across the globe” — Dr. Luis Andrade, President, OIDH
- “Seventeen Portuguese citizens were murdered in the attacks, among them men, women, and children from families whose roots stretch across the Sephardic world, including Morocco, Turkey, Tunisia, Egypt, Bulgaria, the Balkans, and the former Ottoman Empire.” — Dr. Luis Andrade
- “We do not need to turn to history books to understand what two millennia of persecution, massacres, and kidnappings mean. We are fully aware of what took place in 2023,” — Gabriela Cantergi, President, B’nai B’rith Portugal
- “Remembering the 25 Portuguese-Israeli victims, all from families in North Africa and the former Ottoman Empire, is also memorializing Portuguese Jewish history,” — David Garrett, Porto Jewish Community
- “Shalom Sheetrit was a signatory of Israel's Declaration of Independence. Haim Solomon was the financier of American independence. Abraham Salem was the key figure of Indian independence. Horace Gunzburg Porto was the Russian Rothschild. Moses Montefiore and Lord Lawrence Kadoorie were from families from the Portuguese and Spanish congregation of London. No other people left such a significant mark on the entire world, and it is interesting to see the” — David Garrett
Why It Matters: Global Solidarity and Memory
The tribute underscores international solidarity with Israel’s victims and reaffirms the values of human dignity, historical memory and collective opposition to terrorism. By highlighting the Portuguese dimension, the statement connects contemporary tragedy to a long-standing diaspora, reinforcing the notion that attacks on one community reverberate across nations and histories.
What’s Next
Portugal joins the broader international community in honoring those lost, with the tribute slated for dissemination to Israeli and Jewish authorities as a formal act of remembrance and solidarity.
