The Community held a special event at its headquarters in central Vilnius, attended by around 100 people. Addressing participants, the Community's deputy chairwoman Faina Kuklyansky said Israel was the "sacred land" for every Jew and was "like the air every Jew around the world does not imagine the future without."
"The Jewish Community of Lithuania supports Israel, its right to be a free independent democratic state, backs its right to legitimate defense and a peaceful life," Kuklyansky said.
"The Gaza Strip is being strengthened as a military base for attacks against Israel," she said.
Participants of the event sang the national anthems of Lithuania and Israel, and Lithuania's chief rabbi Chaim Burstein said a prayer.
On 14 November, Israel launched air attacks against the Gaza Strip controlled by Palestinian Islamic Movement Hamas in response to rocket attacks from the Palestinian territories.
Over 140 Palestinians, including dozens of children, have been killed since then. Five Israelis, including four civilians, have been killed on the Israeli side.
On Wednesday, a bus explosion rocked Tel Aviv, injuring 17 people. It was the first major explosion in the Israeli capital since 2006. The incident took place some 500 meters from the Lithuanian Embassy.
Hamas welcomed the attack and called it a response to Israel's killings.
The EU and the majority of Western countries are of the position that the crisis was caused by Hamas rocket attacks and the movement has to accept primary responsibility. But they also call on Israel to give "proportionate" response. Israel is also severely criticized by human rights advocates for its treatement of the Gaza Strip and a blocade imposed upon its population.
