About one-third of Lithuania’s population believes antisemitism is a problem in the country, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey conducted in November.
The Office of the Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson said more than half of respondents believe the level of antisemitism in Lithuania has not changed over the past five years. Fourteen percent said the problem has increased, while 18% believe it has decreased.
Comparing the results with previous surveys, the ombudsperson’s office noted a sharp rise in concern about antisemitism in political life. In 2018, 15% of Lithuanians considered antisemitism in politics to be a problem. That figure has risen to 38%, Equal Opportunities Ombudsperson Birute Sabatauskaitė said.
“Unfortunately, this increase is not surprising, as antisemitic statements are a reality in our political arena,” Sabatauskaite said. “It is therefore not surprising that more and more people see this as a problem in Lithuania.”
Survey respondents identified the desecration of Jewish cemeteries as the most serious issue, cited by 43%, followed by antisemitic graffiti and vandalism of Jewish buildings and institutions, also cited by 43%. Antisemitism on the internet, including social media, was identified as a problem by 36% of respondents.
Twenty-eight percent said antisemitism is a problem in Lithuanian schools and universities.
More than half of those surveyed said people in Lithuania are well informed about Jewish history and traditions. A similar share said they fully or partly agree that Lithuanian schools provide sufficient education about the Holocaust.
At the same time, the survey revealed gaps in public awareness of existing laws. Sixty-two percent of respondents said they know that Lithuania has laws criminalising incitement to hatred and violence against Jews, while 51% said they are aware that Holocaust denial is a crime.
“About a quarter of residents are unaware of these legal provisions, and one in five believes that such actions are not prohibited at all,” Sabatauskaite said. “This shows that the state should pay more attention to educating the public that antisemitic actions, including incitement to hatred or violence and Holocaust denial, carry real legal responsibility.”
The Eurobarometer survey in Lithuania included 1,023 respondents.
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