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“It is indeed a disappointing misunderstanding that has been heard on such a memorable day that we all bow down again and remember the victims of the Jewish nation during World War II,” the head of state told reporters on Friday.
“It is unfortunate that sometimes we listen to people who are competent enough and have a lot of political responsibility, which further hurts the families of the victims, our partners, so I hope it will be concluded that the opinion of Mr. Rakutis represents the party faction or the Seimas, “he added.
V. Rakutis, having received a negative evaluation due to the comment, resigned as President of Seimas Freedom Fights and of the State Historical Memory Commission.
The leader of the Conservatives, Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, also resented his comment, and the Conservative faction in the Seimas also distanced itself from the words of a colleague.
“I think there have been enough comments, denials from the party leader, that we nevertheless apologize for this misunderstanding and please do not jump to conclusions,” said President G. Nausėda.
On Friday, V. Rakutis apologized to “all those who were offended, his colleagues, leaders and party members, diplomats and citizens of friendly countries, that these interpretations have disturbed the seriousness of the International Holocaust Day.”
In a text published on Wednesday, the chairman of the parliamentary commission for the fight for freedom and the historical memory of the state also spoke about the collaboration of Nazi collaborators with the Nazi and Soviet regimes.
But what about those helpers? Who are the people who adopt terrible ideas? Is it the leaders of the Lithuanian nation, like the first volunteer Kazys Škirpa or General Vėtra? Or maybe Antanas Smetona? Despite the great uproar of recent years, there was no way to prove that they organized the Holocaust. No, it is quite different people, often uneducated, who tend to feel important after receiving a rifle in their hands, sometimes severely affected since 1941. Soviet repression, sometimes blindly following orders. They look like stripes. Let’s get to know them, let’s understand why they did it.
They look like stripes. Let’s get to know them, let’s understand why they did it.
After all, there was no shortage of Holocaust perpetrators among the Jews themselves, especially in the ghetto’s self-government structures. We need to name these people out loud and try to prevent people like them from happening again. But also to answer the question of what were the opinions of the Jews themselves, what ideas led some Jews to cooperate with the Soviet authorities, to occupy important positions in the repressive Soviet structures. Sometimes, understanding causes allows understanding of consequences, although it does not justify actions, ”wrote V. Rakutis.
Faina Kukliansky, president of the Lithuanian Jewish community, demanded that the Attorney General’s Office launch a pre-trial investigation into the denial and distortion of the Holocaust.
After the German occupation of Lithuania during World War II, the Nazis and local collaborators killed more than 90 percent. of more than 200 thousand. Lithuanian Jews.
Israel has awarded more than 900 Lithuanians the title of righteous nation of the world for saving Jews by risking their lives.
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