THE VOICE OF INTERNATIONAL LITHUANIA
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May Lithuania rot in hell for a 1000 years! One-sentence Letter to the Editor from a reader in USA |
Lithuania and the memory
of the Shoah (Holocaust)
By Yves Plasseraud, Paris
May Lithuania rot in hell for a thousand years! This is what one could recently read in a Letter to VilNews’ Editor. This vindictive sentence sums up, in a nutshell, the language of a number of the current Western (including Israeli) and Russian discourses on this Baltic country. The rationale behind this demonization is what the authors of these writings consider as the radical and supposedly built-in anti-Semitism of the Lithuanians.
To support their demonstration, they argue that the « Lithuanians » have recently been systematically trying to obliterate their massive participation in the Shoah (Holocaust) by putting forward the forged thesis of the so-called « double genocide ». Two of their main arguments in this respect are the Lithuanian support to the 2008 Prague Declaration on European Conscience and Communism, and on the one hand, the name and the exhibits of the Vilnius Genocide Museum on the other hand (displaying much more about the Soviet oppression than about the Nazi one).
These two points are indeed objectively questionable and, more generally, despite many significant progresses, there are evidently a number of things to criticize in the Lithuanian handling of the Jewish question. Nothing however justifies the current intensity of their gesticulations and the « ontological » hate against this country they manifest ! In these matters, Lithuania is certainly not worse than most of the post-soviet countries of the East-Central European Area. Amongst the nations of the area, Lithuania is probably the one which has accomplished the biggest steps toward recognition and information of its dark pages in history, and these critics appear to systematically ignore this fact. The recent reaction of the informed public about the recent neo-Nazi parade in Vilnius offers a good illustration of this evolution.
If these current harsh and oversized critics really wanted to help the Lithuanian society progress forward on the way of recognition and democracy, it seems evident that they would adopt a more acceptable and convincing language. They would also address the Lithuanian public and not the Western media which are basically very uniformed of these matters and furthermore deprived of any contacts with the Lithuanian population.
If their aim is really an improvement of the situation on the Eastern-Central European ground at large, it also appears that they should concentrate on what takes place currently in the field of human rights. In this respect, a country like Russia where racism is unfortunately omnipresent and where historical revisionism is often a state Policy should be a central preoccupation! On the contrary, they regularly side-up with Moscow in criticizing the small neighbouring countries!
No, their attitude is not rational and obviously originates from somewhere else and has other objectives which – at this point – are unfortunately not very clear.
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[…] Yves Plasseraud: Lithuania and the memory of the Shoah (Holocaust) […]
A few ideas (I don't have much time right now) :
1) The Lithuanian government does what it can under current circumstances (Lithuanian people do not like to appear to cede to minorities, be it Poles, Russians or Jews).
Since right wing Russian Jew Avigdaor Lieberman is Israeli foreign minister, Israel and Lithuania live a real diplomatic honeymoon. Jewish lobby ceased its war on Lithuania, which is now done by Simon Wiesenthal center, a few charities, some families of Shoah survivors and private individuals.
2) Yves Plasseraud is right to state that situation is worse in neighbouring countries, especially Russia and in a lower scale Ukraine. Antisemitism in Lithuania has very few opportunities to be displayed, except on the internet but no more than in other European countries (including Western European countries).
But there is money in Russia, there are a lot of Jews still living there, some of them having tried to emigrate in Israel and finding life is better in Russia. So Israel and lobbies it controls keep low profile on antisemitism in these countries.
3) About sending direct messages to Lithuanians, I agree, but is should come from Lithuanians themselves. I am very optimistic about new generation.
Current advertising campaign on Lithuanian television by US embassy in Vilnius promoting litvak culture seems to me highly counter-productive.
4) Lithuania needs a civil society, it is a broader problem than how it handles jews, homosexuals and other minorities rights.
5) Yves Plasseraud writes he does not know the true motives of the hate campaign about Lithuania, but these motives are the same as what they were before Israeli government's reversal on the subject : size of shoah, persistance of antisemitism, refusal to make any nazi accomplices make jail time…this will exist until the last survivor of shoah in Lithuania will have passed away.
1) Ditto to the messages of Zilvinas ..
except that:
Zilvinas cannot agree with MANY of the statements,
and I cannot agree with ANY of the statements …
2) I do not understand the concept of bringing Hebrew texts to Vilnius … why is this needed ? … who will read it ? … what is this concept ? …
— maybe, 'digitizing' the texts, for the world ? …
I think it has been done …
3) I would like to see a good Jewish deli ("delicatessen") in Vilnius …
that would change some 'attitudes' !! …
or at least,
a Brooklyn (NYC) 'Famous Nathans' hot-dog stand …
(Kosher = 'clean')
4) let's get "REAL" …
and not ask LT to spend money
[…] Lithuania and the memories of the Shoah (Holocaust) […]
Sorry, – had been giving
Wyman,
unfortunately I cannot agree with many of your statements either and I had been given my numerous answers to you in my e-mails.
Wyman,
your comment deserves to be an article. I can't but agree with each of your statements. I hope your noble efforts will be crowned with success.
Best regards,
Judit
There have been and continue to be more than a few displays of anti-Semitism in Lithuania. How is it possible to have a Museum of Genocide which totally ignores what was done to the Jews? The message appears to be that to suffer during Nazi and Soviet times does not count if someone was Jewish. Then add to the fact that the Foreign Minister made a blatantly anti-Semtic statement regarding the right of return for Lithuanians. Then add that two leading newspapers often print articles which paint Jews using the old stereotypes. Then add the fact that the Prosecutor´s office wanted to bring to trial former Jewish partisans. The reason was that there was a "hint" that they may have killed some Lithuanians during the war. The idea of prosecution could be understood if Lithuania had also bothered to bring to trial any of the known murderers of Jews during the war. The government´s lack of desire to imprison Lithuanians who killed Jews rightly gives the impression once again that the life of a Lithuanian Jew means very little compared to that of a Lithuanian Catholic or Protestant or Lutheran. It does not seem to matter that Jews had already been in Lithuania for over 600 years.
Even with all of what I wrote above, the Lithuanian government has the opportunity to totally turn around the attitude of the worldwide Jewish community. This has been declared the Year of Holocaust Remembrance in Lithuania. I have been working for 7 years to open the Vilnius Jewish Library. It has been declared that the library will be an integral part of the Holocaust Remembrance events. Yet here we are at the start of April and the weather is once again warming up with flowers coming out. So far not one book has been moved into the library space. The reason is that the government has not yet been able to allocate funding.
I do understand that finances are difficult during this current economic crisis. I do not place any blame on the Lithuanian government. What I do know is that Lithuania is rarely mentioned in international news unless it is for negative or odd reasons. A perfect example is the recent mention of Lithuania on Yahoo News for the fact that a World War Two machine gun was intercepted during delivery. Other examples include the Foreign Minister´s anti-Semitic remarks, or the closing of the Ignalina nuclear plant, or the supposed CIA prisons. Lithuanians deserve far better than only to be mentioned on the world stage in a negative light.
Opening the Vilnius Jewish Library serves more than one purpose. It puts Lithuania in a very positive light regarding the worldwide Jewish community. It also becomes an incredible resource for all students and scholars in Lithuania. It will be a Jewish library unlike any the world has ever seen. It will also become an English as a Second Language resource which will be better than any to be found in Eastern Europe. This is not a library designed to favour one group over another. It is not meant to promote Jews to the detriment of other religions.
LIthuania was not built by Catholics. Lithuania was not built by the Jews. Lithuania was built by all LIthuanians working together.
Ted is absolutely correct! Very very true! JUST THINK OF THE GENOCIDE OF THE PALESTINIANS TO WHICH NO CIVILIZED COUNTRY OBJECTS AND SUPPORTS A PEOPLE WHO PROCLAIM THAT THEY HAVE NO SIN!!!!
A very wise man once said "Let him who is without sin, cast the first stone".