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Former director of Yad Vashem Yitzhak Arad. (Tomer Appelbaum) Last update - 14:25 08/09/2007 Lithuania asks to quiz ex-Yad Vashem head over WWII killings By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Correspondent Tags: former Yad Vashem chief  Lithuania's chief prosecutor is mulling whether to order a probe against the former director of Yad Vashem Yitzhak Arad into allegations he was involved in the killing of Lithuanians as a partisan fighter during World War Two. In a letter to the Justice Ministry, Lithuanian authorities asked to question the Lithuanian-born historian and retired Israel Defense Forces brigadier general on murder accusations raised by a local magazine article based on quotes from his autobiography and testimony he gave as a witness in trials of Nazi criminals. Government sources unofficially confirmed they have received Lithuania's request, adding that Israel views it as "nothing short of outrageous." Advertisement Arad has recently participated in a panel that met in Vilnius called the Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania. As a panel member, Arad raised the issue of Lithuanian citizens' involvement in the murder of local Jews -a claim that has drawn the ire of many Lithuanian rightwing groups who say such accusations are exaggerated and that the panel should focus on Soviet atrocities instead. In response to the probe, Arad has rejected an invitation to return to Vilnius to continue to take part in the panel's activity and claims he has been singled out by Lithuanian authorities. "If it were just a personal matter, I wouldn't have made an issue out of it, but it is anything but personal," Arad said. "What they are trying to do with this probe is form an equation as though there were Lithuanians who killed Jews, but also Jews who killed Lithuanians - so now were even and can move on." The Lithuanian Holocaust is unique in that it was largely carried out by locals, especially members of the Order Police, who began butchering Jews the moment the Soviets left in 1941, even before the German army arrived. Only a few thousand of Lithuania's 220,000 Jews survived the Holocaust. After the German army conquered Lithuania in 1941, the 15-year-old Arad fled his hometown ghetto and joined a unit of Soviet partisans until the Red Army took over the region. After the war he boarded an illegal immigrant ship to Israel, joined the Palmach [a pre-state elite strike force], and later served as an officer in the IDF, retiring in 1972 as head of the Education Corps. In civilian life Arad became a scholar and lecturer on Jewish history, specializing in the Holocaust. He was director of Yad Vashem from 1972 to 1993. As a world-class expert on Lithuanian Jewry in the Holocaust, Arad was summoned as an expert witness for the U.S. Justice Department's Office of Special Investigations, which hunts down Nazi war criminals and collaborators who managed to obtain American citizenship. The affidavits Arad gave in the trials of Lithuanian Gestapo officials Aleksandras Lileikis and Algimantas Dailide, who were subsequently deported from the U.S., angered political elements in Vilnius. Lithuanian nationalists object to the Holocaust's commemoration, claiming the people who should be memorialized are the victims of 46 years of Soviet occupation. A large share of the Lithuanians persecuted by the Soviets had been Nazi collaborators. Despite opposition from nationalists, the international commission was established as part of Lithuania's efforts to gain European Union membership. The commission invited historians from Lithuania, Germany and the U.S. Arad was invited to represent Yad Vashem. Yad Vashem's director, Avner Shalev, informed the chair of the commission that in view of the proceedings against Arad, Yad Vashem has decided to suspend its participation in the international commission. The partisans' organization in Israel also sent a protest letter to Lithuanian President Vladas Adamkus. No comment was received from the Lithuanian embassy as of press time. More Jewish World news and features Bookmark to del.icio.us   Will power Shas Minister Yitzhak Cohen says only a complete Gaza power cut will bring results. The cost of security U.S. estimate: Preparing Palestinian security forces for statehood will cost $7 billion.   1.   Anybody surprized? 04:05  |  Jesus 07/09/07   2.   Lithuanian 04:40  |  sweis Melbourne 07/09/07   3.   Lithuanian is Right 04:42  |  fred 07/09/07   4.   Litvaks 04:59  |  Seraph 07/09/07   5.   It is amazing that a people that brought so much to Lithuania 05:00  |  richard 07/09/07   6.   Lithuania is going to be extinct in 60 years.. 05:08  |  Tom 07/09/07   7.   Racism stinks! 06:05  |  US Citizen 07/09/07   8.   Racism stinks! 06:05  |  US Citizen 07/09/07   9.   good thing a sense of irony is wasted here 06:19  |  boxley 07/09/07   10.   Alexander Nevsky 07:37  |  Jake 07/09/07   11.   Lithuania 07:55  |  Garry 07/09/07   12.   This is appallingly written 08:00  |  Rowan Berkeley 07/09/07   13.   Lithuania forever...... 08:22  |  Esther 07/09/07   14.   Europeans hate therefore they exist. 09:06  |  a Jew 07/09/07   15.   My personal experience of Lithuanian anti-Semitism 10:26  |  Joshua 07/09/07   16.   #15 A Jew in Israel, from Europe. 10:48  |  PADDY 07/09/07   17.   Rowan Berkeley 10:51  |  Connie 07/09/07   18.   Jews can commit crimes, same as anyone 11:14  |  Natallie Durson 07/09/07   19.   this is an awful warning on jewish complacency 11:29  |  victor hardman 07/09/07   20.   Quite a bit of hate over here... 11:38  |  S 07/09/07   21.   Esther has learned nothing of her family`s past 11:58  |  Absolute Sweden 07/09/07   22.   LITHUANIA / LATVIA / UKRAINE / BELARUS 12:22  |  Nicole 07/09/07   23.   LITHUANIA - LATIVIA - UKRAINE - BELARUS 12:25  |  Nicole 07/09/07   24.   Anti-Semitism In Fashion Again Thanks to Islamists 13:48  |  Jane 07/09/07   25.   #20 natallie and her lack of education 13:56  |  victor hardman 07/09/07   26.   #20 Natalie Durson 14:00  |  Reuben Jacobs 07/09/07   27.   absolute sweden 14:16  |  arik hermeister 07/09/07   28.   Yitzhak Arad smart of you not to go 14:51  |  topanga 07/09/07   29.   TO NATALIE DURSON 14:54  |  Nicole 07/09/07   30.   #28Reuben Jacobs 15:05  |  urmas 07/09/07   31.   Nicole from Tel Aviv / London 15:05  |  Sasha 07/09/07   32.   #17 Joshua 15:12  |  Mark B. 07/09/07   33.   Ms. Durson #0 15:22  |  gaoni 07/09/07   34.   #15 "a Jew" 15:38  |  A European 07/09/07   35.   to Jane#26 15:45  |  sinalco 07/09/07   36.   Yitzhak Arad should not return to Lithuania 15:52  |  Johnny Weintraub 07/09/07   37.   #32 15:54  |  Reuben Jacobs 07/09/07   38.   to no.31 15:57  |  sinalco 07/09/07   39.   Re: This is appallingly written 16:00  |  Varda Epstein 07/09/07   40.   Re: Europeans hate therefore they exist 16:03  |  Varda Epstein 07/09/07   41.   TO SASHA 16:18  |  Nicole 07/09/07   42.   WWII killings 16:23  |  Shana 07/09/07   43.   Many Israeli Jews act in a similar fashion towards arabs 16:35  |  Pepe Le Pui 07/09/07   44.   Seraph 16:41  |  Me 07/09/07   45.   Personally I like Lithuania 16:42  |  Man 07/09/07   46.   Lithuania should not be admitted in the EU 16:48  |  Dramblys 07/09/07   47.   Natallie Durson is correct 16:59  |  Ian Robertson 07/09/07   48.   Yes, Lithuanian jewish hands were also dirty! 17:10  |  Wiktor 07/09/07   49.   Sorry, PADDY, but Jews were targeted for being foreign 17:44  |  Jake 07/09/07   50.   #20 Reuben Jacobs 18:05  |  Murray of Montreal 07/09/07   51.   How about Human rights? 18:08  |  Gene 07/09/07   52.   Jewish commissars 18:16  |  igco 07/09/07   53.   Yidn, nekoma 19:01  |  Gene 07/09/07   54.   Sascha and defenders of Lithuania 19:02  |  Connie 07/09/07   55.   Just a guess 19:07  |  Gene 07/09/07   56.   PADDY #18 19:11  |  JOJO 07/09/07   57.   Re "Absolute Sweden #23 19:19  |  Esther 07/09/07   58.   HA HA HA 19:31  |  Danite 07/09/07   59.   we are not talking partizans here 19:31  |  igco 07/09/07   60.   The Hunter Becomes the Hunted 19:58  |  Mr. Knowitall 07/09/07   61.   IF ONLY I POSSESSED THE ATOMIC BOMB 20:22  |  patrick hammel 07/09/07   62.   to # 39 - of course, it is Jews` fault 20:26  |  Peace lover 07/09/07   63.   # 28 Urmas is correct 20:29  |  Peace Lover 07/09/07   64.   # 28 Urmas is correct 20:29  |  Peace Lover 07/09/07   65.   It is obvious, anti-Semitism is not gone yet from the Baltic 20:53  |  Svetlana 07/09/07   66.   igco, RE Jewish commissars 21:12  |  Jake 07/09/07   67.   All Jewish Self-Defense is Punishable 21:12  |  Scharker Yid 07/09/07   68.   to igco 22:35  |  mike 07/09/07   69.   #26 To Jane. Against Jews and Israel, no more a single limit (1) 22:41  |  Rene Pailloucq 07/09/07   70.   #26 To Jane. Against Jews and Israel, no more a single limit (2) 23:12  |  Rene Pailloucq 07/09/07   71.   lithuanian nazis 23:22  |  gil teitler 07/09/07   72.   give us back the jews they killed first 23:49  |  michel 07/09/07   73.   Chinese wisdom for Slowman 00:21  |  Anshel Pfeffer 08/09/07   74.   39Igco Illogical justification for racism 00:47  |  Rob 08/09/07   75.   to 43,47 and 55 - try to be rational 01:35  |  igco 08/09/07   76.   Haaretz censored ALL of my emails! 02:03  |  Wiktor 08/09/07   77.   Gil Teitler, you are very remiss in your blurb! 02:33  |  Wiktor 08/09/07   78.   gil teitler - Stop Beautifying what happened 03:31  |  Romanic U 08/09/07   79.   Wiktor the Dodo 03:34  |  Danite 08/09/07   80.   A True Story 03:37  |  Danite 08/09/07   81.   To Renee - We Have Israel So I`m Not Afraid 04:09  |  Jane 08/09/07   82.   LETS MAKE MUSLIMS HAPPY 04:15  |  TOBIA 08/09/07   83.   To Mike #70 04:18  |  igco 08/09/07   84.   Jane - Yeah Israel is a safe place! Ha! 04:48  |  Funny Jane 08/09/07   85.   Wiktor 05:21  |  Alex 08/09/07   86.   Wiktor & Baltic Nazis 05:30  |  Alex 08/09/07   87.   A Qustion 05:31  |  Harry D 08/09/07   88.   igco 05:39  |  Alex 08/09/07   89.   Lithuanians, Latvians & Estonians 05:43  |  Alex 08/09/07   90.   Alex 06:33  |  sweis Melbourne 08/09/07   91.   Viktor 06:38  |  sweis Melbourne 08/09/07   92.   Just like Israel is "forming an equation" with Armenian Genocide! 08:15  |  justiceseeker 08/09/07   93.   #26 To Jane. Against Jews and Israel, no more a single limit (3) 08:28  |  Rene Pailloucq 08/09/07   94.   JOJO... 09:13  |  PADDY 08/09/07   95.   #96 please provide stict proof of the khazar legend paddy 09:53  |  victor hardman 08/09/07   96.   This is appallingly written 10:34  |  Zahavi 08/09/07   97.   #96, Paddy 10:40  |  Cipora Julianna Koh 08/09/07   98.   Cipora Julianna Koh -ODD QUESTION! 11:58  |  PADDY 08/09/07   99.   VICTOR IN BELFAST 12:13  |  PADDY 08/09/07   100.   #100 WW2 STARTED BY BANKERS SAYS PADDY 12:46  |  PAUL HARRIS 08/09/07   101.   Esther from TA,I was referring to your other posts 12:59  |  Absolute Sweden 08/09/07   102.   Danite, please learn to read! 13:35  |  Wiktor 08/09/07   103.   Sweis Melbourne, my point was as follows: 13:42  |  Wiktor 08/09/07   104.   #100 bankers 13:56  |  Rab Burns 08/09/07   105.   #81, Danite. And you`re talkinging about "personal feelings"... 14:02  |  zmogus 08/09/07   106.   better than words 14:08  |  gil teitler 08/09/07   107.   #11, Jake. Howdy. Do you still think interwar Kaunas was Poland? 14:37  |  zmogus 08/09/07   108.   #11, Jake with his superiority complex 14:45  |  zmogus 08/09/07   109.   #65, Svetlana. Some thoughts in face of thoughtlessness 15:05  |  zmogus 08/09/07   110.   #15 Cipora. By your standards you`re a Lithuanian in a nutshell 15:07  |  zmogus 08/09/07   111.   Mr Yitzhak Arad, let me continue your thought 15:25  |  zmogus 08/09/07   112.   Good and Bad People in Every Country 16:50  |  Jane 08/09/07   113.   #99 that about sums it up paddy comic relief 17:17  |  victor hardman 08/09/07   114.   Re Absolute Sweden #101 18:28  |  Esther 08/09/07   115.   For Jane #112 18:40  |  Esther 08/09/07   116.   Wiktor can you read? 19:00  |  Danite 08/09/07   117.   Zmogus 19:04  |  Danite 08/09/07   118.   The completion of a "True Story" erasedby Haaretz 19:06  |  Danite 08/09/07   119.   Paddy 19:08  |  Danite 08/09/07   120.   its this urge to please 20:10  |  ryddi 08/09/07   121.   lithuania`s chief prosecutor 20:11  |  jpw 08/09/07   122.   Jake, 66 20:51  |  topanga 08/09/07   123.   #20 S and #80 TRUE STORY 21:00  |  Solomon 08/09/07   124.   #115, jpw. Answer either or. Or indicate a third option. 21:22  |  zmogus 08/09/07   125.   zmogus (2nd try) 21:29  |  Danite 08/09/07   126.   Wiktor 21:32  |  Danite 08/09/07   127.   #114, ryddi. One-step, all-gain solution 21:34  |  zmogus 08/09/07   128.   Arad is wrong 21:45  |  Marc 08/09/07   129.   #85, Alex 21:47  |  zmogus 08/09/07   130.   zmogus 21:59  |  jpw 08/09/07   131.   Esther for TA,you`re a racist 22:03  |  Absolute Sweden 08/09/07   132.   As I see it 22:13  |  Marc 08/09/07   133.   Try to revese situation 23:44  |  Gene 08/09/07   134.   #81 To Jane 23:49  |  Rene Pailloucq 08/09/07   135.   PAUL HARRIS 23:55  |  KUTW 08/09/07   136.   To Zmogus 23:57  |  Gene 08/09/07   137.   #112 To Jane 00:04  |  Rene Pailloucq 09/09/07   138.   none of you were there 00:09  |  sweis Melbourne 09/09/07   139.   #135 SHANA TOVA TO ALL SUPPORTERS OF ISRAEL 01:00  |  PAUL HARRIS 09/09/07   140.   Amalekites? 01:23  |  Ben Azai 09/09/07   141.   Wiktor,Cimmunism in Russia won thanks to Latvian&Lithuanian troop 01:50  |  Absolute Sweden 09/09/07   142.   #47 Ian Robertson to Natallie Durson on Israeli/Hamas justice 02:18  |  hala 09/09/07   143.   The new revisionism 04:43  |  rvb 09/09/07   144.   @23, nikole 33000 were murdered in one day 04:47  |  vladimir 09/09/07   145.   @31, sasha, comparing litvaniia wit latvia and 04:56  |  vladimir 09/09/07   146.   @46, dramblys. it was the mistake. you should be 05:01  |  vladimir 09/09/07   147.   @48, wiktor, it was mistake to deport only 05:03  |  vladimir 09/09/07   148.   @77, wiktor, please give your correct name for FBI 05:28  |  vladimir 09/09/07   149.   @89, alex, i never heard about that, your fantasy? 05:37  |  vladimir 09/09/07   150.   A witchhunt to avoid accountability 05:52  |  Jonathan 09/09/07   151.   Paul Harris 08:52  |  Connie 09/09/07   152.   The sanctimonious lecturing is outrageous 09:17  |  tricks 09/09/07   153.   #133, Oh, Gene, the situation is inverse par excellence 10:37  |  zmogus 09/09/07   154.   On Arad`s reaction 11:07  |  Marc 09/09/07   155.   to all wiktors, etc. 11:34  |  david 09/09/07   156.   #136, Gene. This is what I prefer. 12:20  |  zmogus 09/09/07   157.   #124, jpw. Somehow missed your response to my post 12:28  |  zmogus 09/09/07   158.   #141, Absolute Sweden. With all respect to your wishes, its wrong 12:49  |  zmogus 09/09/07   159.   Political agenda 13:09  |  Marc 09/09/07   160.   #86, Alex to Wiktor. Alas... 14:46  |  zmogus 09/09/07   161.   http://www.ipn.gov.pl/portal/en/19/196/Investigation_in_the_Case_ 17:38  |  AndruejM 09/09/07   162.   better keep our barrels warm and our magazines full 18:21  |  50X100 mtrs in Kovno 09/09/07   163.   Lithuanian Outrage 20:02  |  Eliezer Gevirtz 09/09/07   164.   ~#144-49, Vladimir 21:04  |  zmogus 09/09/07   165.   No collective guilt 21:28  |  Marc 09/09/07   166.   ex-Yad Vashem head 09:59  |  Juliana Boublil 10/09/07   167.   Survivors 10:15  |  Sidney Lan 10/09/07   168.   #117, 125, Danite, belated response 1. 13:59  |  zmogus 10/09/07   169.   #117, 125, Danite, belated response 2. 14:25  |  zmogus 10/09/07   170.   #117, 125, Danite, belated response 3. 14:41  |  zmogus 10/09/07   171.   #117, 125, Danite, belated response 4, the last 14:55  |  zmogus 10/09/07   172.   Lithuania must still be a Nazi state! 16:02  |  James Michael Gibbs 10/09/07   173.   #172, James M.Gibbs. "Still" requires the "was" or "has been" 18:40  |  zmogus 10/09/07   174.   Lithuania wants to quiz ex-Yad Vashem head 19:30  |  Rchard 10/09/07   175.   a few facts 16:59  |  anonymous 12/09/07   176.   PS 17:13  |  anon 12/09/07   177.   2 yidn, nekoma 17:21  |  anonymous again 12/09/07   178.   #175, anonymous. Indeed "Alles klar" when facts are so few 13:54  |  zmogus 13/09/07   179.   #178 15:26  |  anon 20/09/07   180.   #179, Anon, 2. 13:02  |  zmogus 21/09/07   181.   #179, Anon, 3. 13:37  |  zmogus 21/09/07   182.   #179, Anon, 3 a 13:53  |  zmogus 21/09/07   183.   #179, Anon. 4. 14:48  |  zmogus 21/09/07   184.   #179, Anon. 1. 14:51  |  zmogus 21/09/07   185.   184 15:02  |  anon 02/10/07   186.   #185, Anon. 10:26  |  zmogus 08/10/07   187.   Kind of interesting... 07:31  |  Colin Wright 10/02/08

Today Online IAF kills top Hamas man; 2 brothers hurt in Sderot Qassam strike Responses: 2 IDF: Hezbollah renews rocket deployment in southern Lebanon Responses: 5 Zvi Bar'el: Automatic retaliation doesn't constitute a strategy Send response Editorial: Open the Rafah crossing Responses: 168 B. Weinthal: Germany is the logical place to start embargo of Iran Responses: 121 Hamas confiscates humanitarian aid trucks sent to Gaza Responses: 115 Rosner's Domain McCain found a tool with which to woo conservative Republicans: Israel Why many Jewish men go beardless (WTR) New poll: Is it legitimate to cut electricity to Gaza? Factor: How's McCain better than Obama Jewish Republicans? More myth than reality More Headlines 09:19 IAF kills Hamas man; two hurt in attack on Sderot 09:18 IDF says Hezbollah has renewed rocket deployment in S. Lebanon 07:28 Jewish Agency won't give up monopoly on aliyah so easily 08:30 The Gaza Strip blockade could seriously harm Israel's economy 08:00 Months after Annapolis, Israel-PA talks remain low-keyed 07:58 Parents of brain dead Lebanon vet slam hospital for malpractice 08:22 PA census: Nearly 4 million Palestinians live in W. Bank, Gaza, E. J'lem 08:23 Hamas: West Bank residents could breach border fence, enter Israel 08:37 Turkish lawmakers lift ban on Islamic head scarves at universities 08:31 Study: Soviet immigrants outperform Israeli high-school peers 08:15 New witness protection law could even include plastic surgery 08:33 Israeli company sells dental patent to Swiss company for $95 million Previous Editions Select Day 08 feb 07 feb 06 feb 05 feb 04 feb 03 feb 01 feb 31 jan 30 jan 29 jan 28 jan 27 jan

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