Lithuania

One dead, multiple injured, after plane crashes in Vilnius

DHL cargo plane crashes near Vilnius, Lithuania, airport, likely due to 'technical' reasons. Airport operations continue as usual.

Lithuanian Parliament lists IRGC as terror organization

Seimas, the Lithuanian parliament, calls on the European Union to list the IRGC as a terror group, condemns Iran's support of Russia in its war against Ukraine, and its support for terror groups which threaten Israel.

Vilna:

Excavations reveal intensity of Great Synagogue's destruction

Archaeological excavations of the Great Synagogue of Vilna reveal the floor of the main prayer hall and evidence of the intensity of destruction of the synagogue, destroyed by the Nazis and the Soviet authorities.

Latvia, Lithuania, offering restitution for Holocaust survivors

In a shift, Latvia and Lithuania are paying Holocaust survivors and heirs for their stolen property.

Lithuania pres. honors Jews who rescued books during Holocaust

In New York, Lithuania’s president honors those who saved Jewish artifacts during and after the Holocaust.

Netanyahu to Lithuanian PM:

'Our relations are going to become even stronger'

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė discuss regional issues, especially the Iranian threat.

Lithuanian Prime Minister:

'We stand with Israel in stemming Iranian threat'

Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė speaks at AJC Global Forum: We will continue pushing for more sanctions against Iran.

Lithuanian MP’s anti-Israel post slammed as antisemitic

Vilnius prosecutor's office investigating lawmaker for antisemitism and the spread of hate speech.

Lithuania marks Day of Rescuers of Lithuanian Jews for 1st time

Official commemoration ceremony honors 1,785 Lithuanians who rescued Jews during the Holocaust.

Grigory Kanovich, award-wining author, dies at 93

Lithuanian-born Jew and award winning author who endeavored to tell the story of his people despite Soviet pressure, passes away.

Lithuania passes new law on Holocaust restitution

Good Will Compensation Law welcomed by American Jewish Committee as step toward justice for Lithuanian Holocaust survivors and heirs.

Lithuanian proposes:

Allocate over $38m for Holocaust survivors and their heirs

'Proposal is an important step to providing a measure of justice to Lithuanian Holocaust survivors and their families,' organization says.

Russian TV star flees to Lithuania using Israeli passport

Ksenia Sobchak leaves Russia after her mansion searched by police as part of extortion case against her media director.

Jewish grave markers removed from Vilnius church steps

Jewish headstones found during renovation of Lithuanian church steps moved to city's old Jewish cemetery.

Netflix films scene in Lithuanian prison where Nazis jailed Jews

Season 4 of Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’ filmed in a Lithuanian prison where Nazis jailed Jews.

Lithuanian Holocaust memorial vandalized

Memorial in Kretinga District Municipality honoring the lives of 320 Jews who were mass murdered at the site vandalized with swastika.

Lithuanian Jewish community holds fifth World Litvak Congress

Even in Vilnius will bring together Lithuanian Jewish community and Litvaks from around the world.

Lithuanian city names cultural center after Jewish philosopher

Jewish philosopher Emmanuel Levinas is honored in a Lithuania still grappling with the Nazi era.

Chinese aggression: Europe raises the white flag

Little Lithuania is paying a steep price for keeping to its principles. Do not expect the EU to help. Perhaps the EU is over. Opinion.

Lithuania halts bike path construction near Holocaust mass grave

Following outcry, Lithuanian city of Siauliai freezes construction of bike path near mass grave of Jewish Holocaust victims.

Lithuania urges local authorities to mark Jewish massacre sites

Parliamentary measure also asks municipalities to tend to Jewish cemeteries and name public spaces after righteous among the nations.

Vilnius Jewish cemetery defaced with swastika on Rosh Hashanah

Hate symbol was immediately removed from the Old Jewish Cemetery but shortly after was found again on the same sign.

Ark and bimah of Great Synagogue of Vilnius unearthed

International team working for the last several years has also uncovered the former 17th century synagogue's columns and other remains.

Lithuanian government shelves plans to build on cemetery

Lithuania abandons plan to build conference center atop former Jewish cemetery.

German troops sent home from Lithuania after charges of racism

German NATO troops in Lithuania as part of a NATO mission accused of hateful behaviour at a hotel party.

Appointment of new Lithuanian Genocide Center head criticized

Center has in past come under controversy by WWII experts who accuse it of bias on Lithuania's wartime record.

Lithuanian WWII researcher fired for "whitewashing" Nazi

Head of Lithuania's genocide research center fired for whitewashing Nazi collaborator who deported 12,000 Jews to ghetto.

MyHeritage Publishes Millions of Jewish Lithuanian Records

MyHeritage, the online genealogy platform, has published a trove of Lithuanian Jewish historical records stretching back to the late 1700s.

Construction documented at mass Jewish grave in Lithuania

Construction was documented near a mass grave of Jewish Lithuanian Holocaust victims on privately owned land.

Lithuanian lawmaker quits committee after anti-Semitic comments

Lithuanian lawmaker who suggested Jews share the blame for the Holocaust resigns as chair of the parliament’s historical memory commission.

'No shortage of Holocaust perpetrators among Jews'

In Holocaust memorial day speech, Lithuanian lawmaker Valdas Rakutis says Jews and communists share blame.

Lithuania: Police hold activist ahead of deportation

Lithuanian police holding activist who protested glorification of alleged Holocaust perpetrators.

Jewish group slams top genocide museum appointment

Alleged Holocaust distorter named top adviser to Lithuania genocide museum.

Lithuanian Jews slam Putin for 'falsifying' history

Lithuanian Jewish leaders accuse Russia's president of 'falsifying' history during his defense of USSR's annexation of Baltic states.

Lithuanian accused of torturing Jews touted as hero

In Lithuania, lawmakers want to dedicate 2021 to honoring an alleged perpetrator of Holocaust pogrom.

Lithuania capital turns Italian as virus stops travel

As citizens prefer staying put to international travel, Vilnius offers country-themed entertainment to perk up weekends.

Lithuania: Chairs with fake money put on former Jewish cemetery

Tussle over plan to build conference center on grounds of former Jewish cemetery leads to protest with chairs and fake money.

300th birthday of Vilna Gaon ceremony despite coronavirus

Lithuanian FM: 'Today near Vilna Gaon's grave I pay tribute to great Gaon, eternal symbol of history and culture of Lithuanian Jewry.'

Lithuania proposes controversial Holocaust law

Lithuanian lawmaker pushing controversial bill which would declare that the country had no responsibility for the Holocaust.

Lithuania drafts bill exonerating itself from Holocaust crimes

Historian Efraim Zuroff slams bill as 'attempt to whitewash massive complicity' in murder of Jews.

New play confronts Lithuanian complicity during Holocaust

Lithuanian state theater stages controversial play on Holocaust complicity.

Symbol recently hijacked by neo-Nazis placed on Jewish coin

Lithuania places popular far-right symbol on coin celebrating Jewish heritage.

Lithuania’s Holocaust record ‘open wound,’ Israeli envoy says

At genocide seminar for teachers, Israeli envoy tells history teachers in Vilnius that country's Holocaust record is an ‘open wound.’

Vilnius gets first yeshiva since World War II

Lithuanian capital, once one of the most prominent centers of religious Jewish study that was later destroyed by the Nazis, gets new yeshiva

Dirt swastikas left in front of Lithuanian Jewish center

Swastikas formed out of dirt and flowers left in front of Lithuanian Jewish community headquarters.

Demonstrators hang plaque honoring Lithuanian Nazi collaborator

Plaque honoring Nazi collaborator hung in Lithuania's capital city by nationalist activists.

Vilnius synagogue reopens 2 days after closure

Lithuanian Jewish community reopens only synagogue in capital Vilnius after receiving threats.

Lithuania synagogue shut over threats amid collaborators debate

Shutdowns lack precedent in Lithuania since independence from Russia in 1990.

Vilnius: Plaque honoring alleged war criminal to be removed?

Vilnius mayor orders removal of contested plaque honoring alleged war criminal.

Vilnius to rename street honoring anti-Semitic Nazi collaborator

City council of Lithuanian capital votes to rename street honoring Nazi collaborator accused of inspiring Holocaust murders.

'Archaeologists burst into tears'

'Globally significant' discovery sheds light on Jewish life in Lithuania before Holocaust.

Lithuania to blacklist Holocaust denier David Irving

Lithuanian Foreign Minister says his country will blacklist David Irving to prevent him from entering the country should he try to do so.

Lawyer smashes plaque honoring Nazi collaborator in Lithuania

Lawyer smashes plaque honoring Nazi collaborator, waits with sledgehammer for arrest.

Lithuania’s genocide studies center accused of Holocaust denial

Local Jews say Lithuania’s state body for preserving the memory of the Holocaust broke the country’s laws against denying that genocide.

Lithuania: Court rejects suit against honoring Nazi collaborator

Californian who sued Lithuanian center for honoring Nazi collaborator promises to pursue case, appeal to European Court of Justice.

Lithuanian PM considering moving embassy to Jerusalem

Lithuanian PM Saulius Skvernelis says he will consider moving embassy from Tel Aviv to Israel's capital if he becomes president.

Netanyahu meets Lithuanian counterpart

Meeting is a continuation of Netanyahu's August 2018 visit to Lithuania.

Lithuanian church removes stairs made from Jewish headstones

Lithuania’s Evangelical Reformed Church removes headstones from Jewish cemetery installed as stairs under Soviet rule.

Lithuanian judge postpones trial over deceased Nazi collaborator

Lithuanian judge postpones precedent-setting trial in which civil servants intend to publicly defend deceased Nazi collaborator.

Lithuania defends Nazi collaborator accused of killing Jews

Defense comes in response to American activist’s lawsuit demanding removal of plaque in Vilnius honoring Jonas Noreika.