Israeli-Lithuanian relations

In 2007, the Lithuanian authorities called Yitzhak Arad , a Nazi fighter and former director Yad Vashem, for questioning partisan activities and killing Lithuanians of non-Jewish nationality during World War II. Lithuanian authorities suspected Arad of participating in the massacres of Lithuanians during the war. However, the Israeli authorities rejected the request of the Lithuanians.

In April 2012, Lithuania appointed an official trade attaché in Israel. This should have contributed to the development of trade relations between the countries, as well as increased Israeli investment in the economy of the Baltic republic. ^[2]

In July 2013, Israeli President Shimon Peres paid a state visit to Lithuania during which he met with his colleague Dalia Grybauskaite . During the visit, President Grybauskaite stated: “Relations with the State of Israel are extremely important for Lithuania and the entire European Union, ” and added that “Israel and Lithuania have strong diplomatic ties for 20 years, we see Israel as an innovation model and will work to strengthen relations between the two countries. ” ^[3] .

On September 4, 2017, the head of the Israeli government Netanyahu met with the Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Antanas Linkevichyus . The meeting discussed cooperation between the two countries in the field of security. In addition, Linkevicius presented Netanyahu with a statuette of a girl in memory of the Jewish community in the Lithuanian city of Seduva , which was completely destroyed. Great-grandmother Netanyahu, as well as the grandparents of former Israeli President Haim Herzog, are buried in the cemetery of this city. ^[four]

At the end of August 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netianyahu paid an official visit to Vilnius. There he met with his Lithuanian counterpart Saulius Skvernyalis, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Lithuania. ^[5] On August 24, Netanyahu took part in the Baltic Prime Minister’s Summit in Lithuania at the Lithuanian National Library, as well as held separate negotiations with Latvian Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis and Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas. The parties discussed strengthening relations between Israel and the Baltic countries, as well as expanding cooperation in various fields. ^[6] In the company of Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius and Sejm deputy Emanuelis Zingeris Netanyahu, he visited a choral synagogue that survived during World War II in Vilnius and met with representatives of the local Jewish community. ^[7]

In January 2019, a meeting between the Prime Minister of Lithuania Saulius Skvernelis and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu took place in Jerusalem. The meeting was attended by Minister of Economy Eli Cohen and Minister of Economy and Innovation of Lithuania Virginijus Sinkevičius. ^[8] In March, Saulius Skvernialis announced that he was planning to relocate his country's embassy to Jerusalem if he won the presidential election. ^[9]

In 2016, Lithuania purchased SAMSON Mk II weapon systems with remote control for armored personnel carriers from Israel. The system will be equipped with a 30-mm gun, a 7.62-caliber machine gun and a long-range modification of the Spike anti-tank missile system. ^[ten]

Until the end of 2019, Lithuania will acquire from Israel 5 short-range radars totaling € 2.8 million. ^[11]

• Israeli Embassy in Riga (also accredited to Lithuania)
• Lithuanian Foreign Ministry: list of bilateral treaties with Israel (in Lithuanian)
• Lithuanian Embassy in Tel Aviv