DOMINANT ANGLE
Lisbon sees an Israeli society "divided as before": the third anniversary of October 7 is seen as a prelude to the October 27 legislative elections, with a European aspect of remembrance and the fight against anti-Semitism.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
According to SAPO Notícias, 68% of Israeli Jews consider the 7 October incident central to their vote in the October 27 legislative elections.
- 02
The 7 October incident resulted in 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages; at the Nova festival, Hamas killed 378 people and took 44 hostages, according to Observador citing the Times of Israel.
- 03
Roberta Metsola mentioned in the European Parliament the duty towards the Jewish community "at a time of growing global antisemitism" (RTP Notícias).
ANALYSIS
Lisbon, October 7, 2026. For the Portuguese press, the third anniversary of the Hamas attack is first and foremost a moment of Israeli domestic politics. SAPO Notícias headlines: "Three years after October 7 and on the eve of elections, Israel is divided as before." The site recalls that Hamas militants entered Israel from the Gaza Strip, killed 1,200 people, and took 251 hostages.
SAPO notes that this is the first anniversary where Israelis no longer expect the return of the hostages. They can talk about the trauma in the past, but also start thinking about the future, just a few days before the October 27 legislative elections. According to the article, 68% of Israeli Jews consider the event central to their vote. Families and survivors are preparing protests and tributes, recalling that many questions remain unanswered. In Tel Aviv, the Square of the Hostages extinguished its clock, a symbol of the end of captivity.
Observador's live report, according to the Times of Israel, states that the ceremonies begin at 6:29 local time, the time the attack started. One is being held at Kibbutz Re'im, where the Nova music festival was taking place: Hamas killed 378 people and took 44 hostages there. The same live report mixes this event with other fronts: two deaths in Russian strikes on Kiev, Houthi fire near Aden airport.
The European dimension is highlighted in RTP Notícias' report. A photography and art exhibition has been open in Strasbourg since Monday, and the European People's Party is organizing a ceremony. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola defends the duty towards the Jewish community in Europe "at a time of growing global anti-Semitism." RTP also reports an incident: a far-left MEP left the Israeli and EU flags on the ground.
Observador finally publishes three opinion pieces. MEP Tiago Moreira de Sá reflects on the "singularity" of Israel and the Jewish people and the paradox of their survival in the face of defeat.
The articles in the corpus do not detail the toll of the war in Gaza, the refused commission of inquiry, or the alleged Emirati warning: attention remains focused on memory, the campaign, and European support.
SOURCES (3)
- ObservadorMEDIUM
- SAPO NotíciasMEDIUM
- RTP NotíciasMEDIUM
