A group of Israeli rabbis visiting Lithuania were spat upon in Vilnius on July 6 in an antisemitic incident. The attacker posted video of the assault online and encouraged others to target Jews similarly. Local authorities detained the assailant following a complaint made through Israeli officials, though he was subsequently released ahead of trial.
Faina Kukliansky, chair of the Lithuanian Jewish Community, expressed concern about the incident. "I am not astonished and worry that he is not the only one," She said, adding that "I do not want to be chair of a Jewish organization in a country where Jews are attacked and have to fight antisemitism openly." Kukliansky called on authorities to impose a strict sentence as a deterrent, noting they had acted swiftly in this case.
The rabbis, who had been touring Jewish heritage sites in the region, left the country shortly after. Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, U.S. Special envoy to combat and monitor antisemitism, stated that "The recent spate of anti-Semitic incidents in Vilnius is unacceptable" And thanked local authorities for their response.
Shimon Cohen, a senior adviser to the Conference of European Rabbis based in London, reflected on broader patterns, saying "For the last 50 years, we lived in a golden age in the Diaspora and forgot that people don't like Jews. In fact, with its history, it would come as a surprise to me if there was no antisemitism in Lithuania."
Lithuania, a former Soviet Republic that joined the European Union in 2004, saw more than 95% of its Jewish population murdered during the Holocaust. Several thousand Jews currently reside in the country, which is considered a strong supporter of Israel within the E.U.