White House reporter warned U.S. Ambassador to Lithuania of Jewish cemetery desecration
“Congress is outraged by the construction that occurred within the perceived boundaries of the historic Jewish cemetery located in the Snipiskes area of Vilnius, Lithuania.” -The source of Lithuania’s déjà vu moment, a resolution passed by the U.S. Congress, 2008.
WASHINGTON, OCTOBER 2020 — In an email dated July 20, 2020, Dr Anthony Harper alerted Ambassador Robert S Gilchrist, the U.S. Ambassador in Lithuania, of the danger of further desecration of the Shnipshok cemetery in Vilnius.
Dr Harper is a White House spokesperson in the White House, covering Anti-Semitism and Religious Freedom issues.
The Shnipishok cemetery was desecrated by the Lithuanian government in 2005. Accordingly, the government was reprimanded for its actions by a resolution passed by the U.S. Congress (H.Con.Res. 255 (110th)), dated October 2, 2008, which stated: “Congress is outraged by the construction that occurred within the perceived boundaries of the historic Jewish cemetery located in the Snipiskes area of Vilnius, Lithuania.”
Dr. Harper included in his email, to the Ambassador a letter by U.S. Senators James Risch, Ben Cardin and Pat Roberts. In that letter, the Senators state that they see any construction on the sacred Vilnius Jewish cemetery grounds as an act of desecration, a point made in a news meeting with Rabbis and the Lithuanian Ambassador to Israel.
Earlier in the year Dr. Harper had met with Senator Risch who confirmed that the Lithuanian Ambassador to the United States had assured him, that the conference center “will not be built on the cemetery.” See coverage of Dr. Harper’s meeting.
Dr Harper highlighted the problem which the development of a conference center on a Jewish cemetery would pose. “Despite assurances from the Lithuanian government that due respect will be appropriated to the Jewish cemetery, according to world experts and authorities on the matter, the construction of a conference center on the cemetery constitutes desecration. This is true even if skeletal remains are removed.”
The White House journalist also highlighted the unfortunate stonewall treatment which Rabbis had received, in their efforts to prevent the development of the conference center and consequent desecration of the cemetery.
“Secondly and most importantly, legitimate Jewish groups are being deliberatively excluded from the process,” wrote journalist Dr. Anthony Harper. “This is preventing them from being able to contribute to the narrative and in finding a democratic and amicable solution to the issue.”
Recently, both an Israeli rabbinical court and the Conference of European Rabbis have stripped the Committee to Preserve Jewish Cemeteries in Europe (CPJCE), of any authority to act on behalf of the European Jewish community.
A Jewish spokesperson in Vilnius said, “The CPJCE was used to illegally rubber stamp the government plan to build the conference center and desecrate the cemetery. Everyone here knows that it was unlawful and contrary to Jewish law.”
In fact Turto Bankas, the government owned land bank and lead developer of the proposed conference center, made extensive representations confirming that development would be conducted under rabbinical supervision.
On September 16, 2020, the Congress for European Rabbis (CER) issued a statement, stripping the CPJCE of authority to represent any Jewish community. This effectively negates any agreement which may have been inked with the Lithuanian government or the developers of the conference center. The CER is Europe’s leading rabbinical alliance representing some 700 Orthodox rabbis in mainstream communities in over 50 European countries.
Separately, Dr. Harper interviewed President Trump’s Counselor/Advisor KellyAnne Conway at the White House, in the James Brady Press Room on December 16, 2019. During that interview Ms. Conway condemned the desecration of the Jewish Cemetery by the Lithuanian government stating “”President Trump is appalled by the desecration of all Jewish cemeteries.”
Human rights watch groups claim that the Lithuanian government’s treatment and support for the desecration of the cemetery is reminiscent of antisemitism in pre-war Germany: perpetrated in a cruel draconian fashion.
In an interview with Newsrael, Dr. Harper confirmed that that the source for the willful desecration of the cemetery by the Lithuanian government, was antisemitism.
President Trump has been vocal with his opposition against cemetery desecration and more recently, Deputy Press Secretary Brian Morgenstern stated that the President stood firmly against the desecration of the Jewish cemetery in Vilnius.
