Prime Minister in Israel: We must remain vigilant to prevent the seeds of hatred from taking root in our societies

Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė, who began her working visit to Israel on Sunday, visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, paid tribute to the Jews murdered during the Second World War, and met with the Chairman of the Yad Vashem Memorial, Dani Dayan.

“I believe that acknowledging and learning from the past is the only way to build a more inclusive and tolerant society. The Holocaust was not an isolated event in history. It was the culmination of centuries of anti-Semitic attitudes, discrimination, and dehumanisation. The seeds of hatred were sown in our societies, and we must remain vigilant to ensure that they never take root again,” said the Head of the Lithuanian Government.

According to the Prime Minister, the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial is also a testimony to the tragedy of Lithuania, which lost two hundred thousand of its Jewish citizens.

“This tragedy will never be forgotten and will forever remain an open wound. It is the duty of all of us to ensure that the painful truth is never covered up again and finds a place in our hearts,” said Prime Minister Šimonytė.

During the meeting with the head of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, Mr. Dayan, the Prime Minister discussed issues of importance to Lithuania and the Lithuanian Jewish community, the commemoration of Holocaust memorial sites and the Jews of Lithuania, as well as their contribution to the country’s history. They also discussed the need to leave no room for the symbols of totalitarian ideologies and the commemoration of the collaborators of these regimes in local public spaces, as well ass spossibilities of cooperation with Yad Vashem in the field of education.