Remigijus Žemaitaitis, whose party’s involvement in Lithuania’s ruling coalition sparked international controversy over the politician’s statements about Israel and Jews, has issued a statement rejecting accusations of anti-Semitism.
The leader of the Dawn of the Nemunas (Nemuno Aušra) party made the statement on Monday, addressing it to the ambassadors of NATO and EU countries as well as Israel.
“Political opponents, who lost the recent elections to the Lithuanian parliament, are actively spreading the message that both I and the political party Dawn of the Nemunas, which will participate in the ruling coalition, are anti-Semitic,” the statement reads.
“I personally want to assure you that this is not the case and never has been the case,” Žemaitaitis said.
Last Saturday, the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party’s (LSDP) council finally approved working in the ruling coalition with two junior partners, the Democratic Union “For Lithuania” and the Dawn of the Nemunas, led by Žemaitaitis.
Further reading
The latter’s invitation to join the government has drawn criticism in Lithuania and abroad because Žemaitaitis is on trial for anti-Semitic posts on social media.
Earlier this year, the Constitutional Court considered these posts and ruled that Žemaitaitis grossly violated the constitution. Žemaitaitis then resigned from the parliament in order to avoid being impeached.
In May 2023, Žemaitaitis posted a news story about a Palestinian school demolished by Israel in the West Bank. He added that Israel’s actions “increase the anger and, at the same time, the hatred towards Jews and their nation” and quoted an anti-Semitic rhyme.
In his Facebook posts last year, where he commented on Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė’s visit to Israel, Žemaitaitis suggested that “the Jews and Russians” oppressed ethnic Lithuanians during World War Two and were responsible for the 1944 massacre of the village of Pirčiupiai. In fact, the atrocity was committed by German SS troops.
Over the weekend, representatives of the United States, Germany, and Israel have issued statements criticising Lithuania’s would-be coalition for including the Dawn of the Nemunas.
In Monday’s statement, Žemaitaitis rejected accusations of anti-Semitism, insisting that his social media posts were criticising Israel, not expressing hatred against the Jewish people.
Žemaitaitis also said that he respects people of different nationalities “who have contributed and are contributing to the preservation of Lithuania’s independence and the growth of its prosperity over the centuries”.
“I believe that the equality of all human beings, respect for each person’s identity and human dignity is the foundation of every state governed by the rule of law. I have only criticised Israel’s recent actions in Palestine, which, by the way, are also criticised by many political leaders all over the world, and I have also criticised the activities of the KGB in Lithuania during the post-war period,” the statement says.
Žemaitaitis insisted that his political opponents exploited his statements for political gain during this year’s campaigns.
He said that during the election campaign, he met with people from the Jewish community in Kaunas, visited the Kaunas synagogue, where he expressed his regret, explained his position and expressed his respect for Jewish people.
“Therefore, I sincerely assure you once again that my personal criticism of the actions of the leadership of the State of Israel in no way constitutes criticism of the nation as a whole,” Žemaitaitis wrote.
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
