WARSAW: Statue of “Praying Hitler” is unveiled in the Warsaw Ghetto. Reports in the Guardian, Daily Mail, Huffington Post.
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KIEV: Eleonora Groisman, president of the Ukrainian Independent Council of Jewish Women, speaks out on renewed antisemitism coming from nationalist party. Meantime, nationalists celebrate memory of the fascist Bandera.
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VILNIUS: Plans underway for annual neo-Nazi march on nation’s independence day. Olga Zabludoff relaunches international petition.
2012 — Quite a Year for Defending History
Brussels, January 20th:
The Seventy Years Declaration, the first serious EU level challenge to the 2008 Prague Declaration, was signed by 71 EU parliamentarians. Never again would the Double Genocide “Prague Process” be sold as undisputed “truth” in the European conversation. Spirited debate ensued.
Aftermath:
Lithuanian foreign minister berates his eight countrymen (all Social Democrats) who signed the SYD, and makes infamous “moustache remark” about Hitler and Stalin. MP Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis (now minister of health) replied powerfully. So did UK MP and author Denis MacShane. Andres Spokoiny’s tribute to MP Andriukaitis.
MP (& health minister) Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis
Vilnius, January 27th:
President of Lithuania honors Brandeis professor Antony Polonsky for “the promotion of Lithuania’s name in the world.” Issues include the definition of “genocide,” the Prague Declaration, the Rachel Margolis case, and instrumentalization in an international campaign of government PR.
Tallinn, February 14th:
Estonia’s parliament passes the infamous “Valentine Day’s Law” that paves the way for official state glorification of the country’s Waffen SS.
On 28 August 1942, the anniversary of Tallinn’s capture a year earlier by Nazi forces, Estonian General Commissar SA-Obergruppenführer Karl Siegmund Litzmann announced that the German higher authorities had authorized formation of the Estonian Legion that would operate under the Waffen-SS.
Kaunas, February 16th:
Neo-Nazi march, complete with legalized “Lithuanian swastikas” covers all of central Kaunas on the nation’s February independence day, is addressed by supportive members of parliament.
Tel Aviv, March 5th:
Holocaust survivors, most in their late 80s, lead a picket line at the Dan Panorama in Tel Aviv as a group of wealthy South African Jews of Litvak descent honor the foreign minister who had insulted the Jewish community and Holocaust survivors on various occasions.
Vilnius, March 11th:
Neo-Nazi march, complete with legalized “Lithuanian swastikas” covers all of the central boulevard of the capital city, Vilnius, on the nation’s March 11th independence day. Right-wing members of parliament were on hand to support the neo-Nazis.
Strasbourg, March 14th:
Seventy Years Declaration is presented to Martin Schulz, president of the European Parliament.
Riga, March 16th:
The annual parade and ceremony to h0nor Latvia’s Waffen SS again goes forward in central Riga with massive support from the central government.
Dr. Efraim Zuroff (center), director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s Israel office, is one of the leaders of a dignified protest that included placing a wreath for the victims of the Holocaust on a day dedicated to honoring local pro-Nazi forces.
Vilnius & Kaunas in May:
Lithuanian government invests tens of thousands of litas to repatriate, rebury with full honors amidst glittering events the 1941 Nazi puppet prime minister who personally signed confirmation of the orders for all the Jewish citizens of his city (Kovno/Kaunas) to be herded into a ghetto within four weeks. American embassy issues shamefully “balanced” statement at the glorification of the Nazi PM, as if Nazism merits a “balanced diplomatic nuancing” in the 21st century (but in September three congressmen issued a morally solid letter of protest). Powerful responses came from Liberal MEP Leonidas Donskis, from Social Democratic MP Vytenis Povilas Andriukaitis, and the Jewish Community of Lithuania.
The most unbelievable image of 2012: An EU/NATO partner government invests in glorification of its 1941 Nazi puppet prime minister.
Zhager (Žagarė), July 13th:
A partnership between a local Lithuanian businessmen, members of the municipality, and foreigners of Litvak origin team up to produce Lithuania’s first and only (?) town center plaque that tells the simple truth about the fate of the town’s Jewish population.
Vilnius, August:
Lithuanian president signs order for renewal and enlargement of the Zingeris-Racinskas “Red-Brown Commission”; in return for various diplomatic favors, Israeli and American support provides cover. A public statement and protest letter were issued by the last association in Israel of Lithuanian Holocaust survivors.
Tel Aviv, September:
The untimely death of former Israeli ambassador to Latvia and Lithuania, HE Chen Ivri Apter, is followed by Leivick House’s release of 2009 video from the Tel Aviv event to honor defamed Holocaust survivor, resistance hero and historian Dr. Rachel Margolis, during which the ambassador powerfully addressed the Double Genocide movement head on.
Sydney & Melbourne, September:
Documentary film Rewriting History (Marc Radomsky and Danny Ben-Moshe) is released in Australia. The story of Defending History is one of its central themes…
Vilnius, September 24th:
Jailhouse Rock: Israeli dignitaries play to the hilt the Zingerian roles assigned to them for the latest Jewish farce in town: The Menachem Begin plaque on the jailhouse wall.
Vilnius, September 27th:
Nine young protesters picket the opening of an exhibit at Vilnius University of the artwork of a racist, antisemitic, homophobic envelope designer.
Lund, Lviv & Canada, October:
Dr. Per Anders Rudling of Lund University, Sweden, leads the international effort to expose the lecture tour arranged by Ukrainian-Canadian nationalists for the head of a museum that obfuscates the Holocaust in Lviv. Dr. Rudling attacked by the nationalists, supported by fellow academics. In the meantime, blanket silence over the appearance of the Holocaust distorter at Harvard, and the (uninformed) praise by the Canadian prime minister.
Dr. Per Anders Rudling
Vilnius, November:
Major red-brown conference in Vilnius with the outgoing prime minister as headline speaker. Pre-event; event; Evaldas Balčiūnas; Pinchos Fridberg; Geoff Vasil.
London, December:
Knighted professor (see January 27th above) organizes a second UCL conference in London. Ninety year old Holocaust survivor leads simultaneous protest at the Lithuainan embassy in London.
Milan Chersonski (Chersonskij), longtime editor (1999-2011) of Jerusalem of Lithuania, quadrilingual (English-Lithuanian-Russian-Yiddish) newspaper of the Jewish Community of Lithuania, was previously (1979-1999) director of the Yiddish Folk Theater of Lithuania, which in Soviet times was the USSR’s only Yiddish amateur theater company. The views he expresses in DefendingHistory are his own. This is an authorized English version (updated by the author) by Ludmilla Makedonskaya (Los Angeles).