Police in Lithuania have stepped up patrol around Jewish community sites amid fears of anti-Semitic attacks. No incidents have been reported yet in the country, according to police spokesman Ramūnas Matonis.
Amid escalation between the Israeli military and Hamas, many countries are seeing attacks against members of Jewish communities. No “particular risks” are seen in Lithuania, however, but police patrolling around synagogues and Jewish community centres have been stepped up since Saturday, Matonis told LRT RADIO on Tuesday.
“We don’t see any particular risks. However, already on Saturday, after these events [in Israel], a decision was taken to increase the protection of certain objects,” he said.
The sites include “all synagogues in Lithuania as well as other places associated with Jews”, according to him.
Hamas, the Palestinian political and military organisation considered terrorist by most Western governments, launched strikes against Israel on Saturday. The government of Israel officially declared war on the organisation in the Gaza Strip the following day.
Top Lithuanian politicians have expressed solidarity with Israel, saying that it has the right to defend itself.
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