WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and long-time Special Rapporteur on antisemitism, intolerance and hate in the OSCE’s Parliamentary Assembly, released the following statement decrying the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party’s decision to form a governing coalition with the Nemunas Party, whose leader has been indicted for public statements constituting prohibited antisemitic hate speech.
“Lithuania is a close ally of the United States and a vital partner in promoting democratic values. However, the Social Democrats’ decision to enter a coalition with the Nemunas Party—a party whose leader has been indicted for inciting violence and hatred against Jews—undermines the core values that unite our nations. At a time when antisemitism is on the rise around the world, giving a platform to antisemitic rhetoric and acts of hate is not just a betrayal of shared democratic ideals, but a physical threat to the safety of Jewish and minority communities.
“Last night’s pogrom on Israeli soccer fans in Amsterdam was a stark reminder that violent antisemitism is a real and escalating threat. Lithuania has a duty to protect the rights and dignity of all its citizens, including its Jewish community, and words and acts of violence must have consequences. Antisemitism has no place in any society, and it is unacceptable that political considerations could ever temper our condemnation of it. We must reject it outright in our words and deeds, with resounding clarity and resolve. The United States and Lithuania must continue working together to counter all forms of hate and ensure that our shared values remain unshaken.”
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