(JTA) – Portugal’s government denied reports that its pullout from a law enforcement project led by Israel’s Bar-Ilan University owed to pressure by pro-Palestinian activists. The departure of Portugal, a main entry point of illegal drugs into Europe, from the LAW-TRAIN project was reported last week by the Lisbon-based Diario de Noticias daily. Founded last year, the project has funding from the European Union and features inno-vative training techniques, including computer simulations, for security forces performing interrogations in the fight against international crime. Diario de Noticias reported that the pullout followed lobbying efforts by Portugal’s Communist Party to have Portugal leave the project, which was co-founded by the European Commission and involves eight partner organizations, of which three are from Israel, including the police. Fernando Negrao, Portugal’s previous justice minister, said he was surprised by the pullout, which he added he “regrets very much.”

In addition to Bar-Ilan University and the Israel Police, the LAW-TRAIN project’s third Israeli partner organization is Compedia, a leading developer of interactive educational systems, content and technology. The LAW-TRAIN project uses, among other tech-niques, augmented-reality glasses that help investigators immerse themselves in inter-rogation situations.