2013 07 08

Vilnius municipality to consider honorary citizenship for Israel's president

Vilnius City Council will is to consider awarding honorary citizenship to Israeli President Shimon Peres, a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Izrealio prezidentas Shimonas Peresas
Israeli President Shimon Peres / „Reuters“/„Scanpix“ nuotr.

The proposal for honorary citizenship was submitted by the Lithuanian Jewish Community, the municipality says.

According to the press release, the Lithuanian Jewish Community considers the Israeli president to be one of the most outstanding Litvaks - Jewish people who trace their lineage to Jews of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

The community said that making Peres honorary citizen of Vilnius, which was formerly known as the Jerusalem of the North, would be a proper and timely step in the run-up to his upcoming visit to Lithuania.

Peres was born in a small town in Belarus close to Vilnius.

"You cannot be a Jew without being Lithuanian. Lithuania is the mother of the Yiddish language, therefore, they say Litvak. Litvak goes beyond a geographic expression, it is character and culture. Litvaks are famous for their special character – they will never yield to themselves or others," the Israeli president said in his 2006 speech dedicated to the 15-year anniversary of diplomatic relations between Lithuania and Israel.

This year, Israelis are celebrating the 65th anniversary of the state of Israel, and Peres will turn 90 on August 2.

He has been heading Israel since 2007.

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