During the commemoration of Lithuania’s National Memorial Day for the Genocide of Lithuanian Jews, leading politicians and Jewish community figures expressed deep concern about the resurgence of antisemitism.
Faina Kukliansky, Chair of the Jewish Community of Lithuania, stressed the importance of educating individuals with a conscience and respect for others. “Antisemitism thrives when we fail to confront it by all available means,” she said at the Paneriai Memorial near Vilnius, where up to 100,000 people were murdered between 1941 and 1944.
The National Memorial Day, observed on 23 September, marks the anniversary of the liquidation of the Vilnius Ghetto in 1943. During the Second World War, 90 per cent of Lithuania’s Jewish population, which stood at 208,000, was killed by the Nazis and their local collaborators.
Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė warned that the same hatred that destroyed millions of lives during the Holocaust is still present today. “This hatred of otherness is making antisemitism stronger in various parts of the world. Sadly, this is not merely a relic of the past but remains a part of our present reality,” she said.
Šimonytė referenced the case of politician Remigijus Žemaitaitis, who was removed from office after the Constitutional Court ruled that his antisemitic remarks on social media were unconstitutional.
“A politician who made antisemitic comments is running for parliament again, and he has supporters. This highlights the need to grasp the consequences such ideas have for Lithuania and our society,” Šimonytė added.
She called on everyone to stand up for justice and oppose hatred and discrimination, asserting that only by doing so can we prevent further tragedies and create a world where genocide has no place, and the life and dignity of every human being are valued.
