Three Israeli rabbis visiting Vilnius were forced to cut their trip short after a local blogger confronted them, spat on them, and ordered them to 'go home,' filming the antisemitic assault, according to a report. Lithuanian police detained the suspect and opened an investigation into incitement; he was released pending further investigation. The rabbis left the country over safety concerns after the footage spread online.
The incident, reported Sunday, involved three Israeli rabbis who had traveled to Lithuania to visit historic Jewish sites, including the grave of the Vilna Gaon. A local blogger confronted them on the street, spat on them, and ordered them to 'go home,' filming the entire incident and posting it on social media. The attacker reportedly encouraged others to target Jews. Following the spread of the footage, the rabbis decided to leave Lithuania over safety concerns.
Lithuanian police arrested the suspect and opened an investigation for suspected incitement based on religion and nationality. He was released as the investigation continues.
The attack is the latest in a series of reported antisemitic incidents targeting Jewish and Israeli tourists in Europe. Earlier this month, The Zioneer reported a separate incident in Lithuania in which a local Russian speaker allegedly spat on Jewish tourists. Similar spitting attacks have been documented in Jerusalem and Barcelona in recent weeks.
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