Thousands of Israeli settlers formed massive queues outside Cinema City, in the city settlement of Glilot, in central occupied Palestine, on Friday morning after the Portuguese Embassy opened in-person registration for citizenship and passport renewal appointments, bypassing its long-overloaded online system.

'Old times are back' event draws massive turnout

The embassy’s temporary initiative, promoted as an “Old times are back” event, allowed Portuguese citizens and eligible applicants to wait on-site without advance scheduling to secure appointments for December and January. The line stretched from the cinema complex down to its underground parking structure, with many arriving before dawn and others abandoning the effort upon seeing the hours-long wait.

The embassy later wrote on its Facebook page that “thousands” were assisted during the event and that “no one was left unattended,” despite the overwhelming turnout. Interest in Portuguese citizenship among Israelis surged following the 2015 “law of return,” which granted nationality rights to descendants of Sephardic Jews expelled in the 16th century. While Portugal initially announced plans to abolish the policy in 2023, the government ultimately tightened, rather than eliminated, the route.

Applicants must now demonstrate deeper, ongoing ties to Portugal, including residing in the country for at least three years. Portugal has also announced that, beginning in May 2026, its passport validity will double from five to ten years. Those applying now will still receive the five-year document.

Read more: Israeli exodus: 60,000 settlers fled last year on one-way tickets

Israelis seek EU passports, escaping war

Portuguese citizenship has become especially attractive in recent years due to visa-free European travel, lower living costs, and access to European universities with significantly lower tuition fees for EU nationals.

Demand intensified after Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, which was launched on October 7, and the subsequent Israeli aggression on Gaza, Lebanon, Iran, and Syria, with many Israelis seeking a second passport for security. Despite agreeing to multiple ceasefire agreements and, in the case of Syria, engaging in direct talks with authorities, the Israeli government continues to gravely violate ceasefire agreements and launch unprovoked attacks in the region.

In turn, responses to those "Israel" attacks have shaken up the pseudo-stability and security that settlers enjoyed, especially in central occupied Palestine. Additionally, the operations of the Palestinian Resistance in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon forced tens of thousands of settlers to abandon their outposts and settle in the center. 

The June 2025 “12-day war” and the ensuing Israeli aggression on Iran exposed to settlers in metropolitan centers, industrial hubs, and major suburbs the scale of devastation their government’s expansionist and confrontational policies could unleash on their own cities.

With every round of confrontation, Israeli airports swell with settlers rushing to flee the consequences of their occupation and decades-long crimes across West Asia.

Tens of thousands of Israelis flee

Tens of thousands have left the country since then, according to Israeli media reporting, contributing to record-high applications for European citizenship. Friday’s scenes in Ramat Hasharon underscored the scale of the trend: a crowded rush for an EU passport that many Israelis increasingly view as a long-term safeguard.

Read more: Tens of thousands have left 'Israel' in 'great migration': Report