UPDATE ON SNIPISKES CEMETERY

C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 000909

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR EUR/NB AND EUR/OHI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/03/2016
TAGS: SCUL PREL LH
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON SNIPISKES CEMETERY

REF: A. VILNIUS 584

B. VILNIUS 789

C. VILNIUS 850

D. VILNIUS 879

Classified By: Pol/Econ Section Chief Rebecca Dunham for reasons 1.4 (b
) and (d)

Summary and Background
--------------


1. (C) Post continues to seek a solution to the controversy
over possible new development of the old Jewish cemetery site
in the Snipiskes area of Vilnius (ref A). In recent months,
a new governing coalition and stepped-up efforts by the
city's mayor to develop the site have led the Embassy to
launch a new offensive to push the parties involved to find a
solution acceptable to all sides. Since the Ambassador's
arrival in August, we have used his courtesy calls on
ministers and others and a series of high-level visitors as
opportunities to educate the new government and to reinforce
to old players the seriousness with which the USG views the
situation. We have emphasized that any development of the
former Snipiskes Cemetery site needs the input and agreement
of the international Jewish community; any decisions short of
this will only lead to further outcry. We believe that our
efforts are beginning to find traction. End summary and
background.

Ambassador's Courtesy Calls
--------------


2. (C) The Ambassador took the opportunity in no fewer than
three meetings during his first three weeks to raise
Snipiskes with those involved in the issue, including the
Foreign Minister and Mayor of Vilnius Arturas Zuokas (ref B).
He continues to raise the issue with key contacts. On
October 3, he discussed the matter with Culture Minister
Jucas, whose Ministry will participate in the commission that
will review the issue from a cultural heritage perspective.
In each case, he told his interlocutors that the USG will not
seek to impose any particular solution; all parties involved
need to talk to one another and come up with a solution that
all can live with. He has emphasized the need for Lithuanian
authorities to involve all segments of the Jewish community,
including those outside of the country's borders, in the
decision-making process.

EUR DAS Pekala
--------------


3. (C) All of DAS Pekala's interlocutors expressed the
government's will to reach a negotiated settlement on the
cemetery during his September 8 meetings (ref C). All
parties agreed that the Mayor has an important role in the
future of the site, as the city of Vilnius still plans to
purchase the land. Zuokas, for his part, seemed more willing
to compromise on the issue than in the past. He agreed to
host and work with international experts to conduct a
scientific examination of the cemetery, a possibility echoed
by presidential advisor Baliukonas the same day. Zuokas even
said that he was willing to consider limiting any building on
the site to the footprint of the sports arena which stands
there now.


CODEL Hastert
--------------


4. (SBU) Representative Eric Cantor used an opportunity
during the September 17 - 19 visit of Speaker of the House of
Representatives, J. Dennis Hastert, to remind Parliamentary
Speaker Muntianas, Prime Minister Kirkilas, and Vilnius Mayor
Zuokas (who attended the Ambassador's reception in the
CODEL's honor) of the significant level of interest in the
United States in finding a solution to the status of the
Snipiskes Cemetery site (ref D). Muntianas told him the GOL
continues to work on property rights issues. He added that a
new working group is looking at the cemetery issue and hopes
to determine the precise extent of the former cemetery, and
then plan next steps. Lithuanian parliamentarians know that
it's a problem, and were trying to solve it, he said. Zuokas
indicated his willingness to work with Jewish groups to find
a broadly supported way forward on Snipiskes.


American Jewish Committee
--------------


5. (SBU) American Jewish Committee (AJC) Director for
International Jewish Affairs Rabbi Andy Baker and the DCM
met with Vilnius Mayor Zuokas to discuss the issue September

28. Zuokas noted that a Lithuanian bank continues to own the
site, and argued that international Jewish groups' interests
would be better served if the municipality obtained the site.
Zuokas provided more details of his vision for the cultural
center that he would like to build on the Snipiskes site. He
said that it would include a modern art museum, an artist's
workshop, audiovisual space, and a permanent exhibit on the
city's Litvak (Lithuanian Jewish) heritage, perhaps providing
a "virtual tour" of Vilna (Jewish Vilnius). Zuokas said that
he remains in contact with the Guggenheim and Hermitage
Museums about plans to develop the site, but expressed
concern that the controversy over the old cemetery could
inhibit those museums from working with the city.


6. (SBU) Rabbi Baker encouraged Mayor Zuokas to work with
representatives of international Jewry as the municipality
contemplates the site's future. Zuokas took the point, and
said that he would reach out to a few religious and technical
experts from the international Jewish community to work with
the municipality and Lithuanian Government on the issue. The
mayor also said that, if the technical work demonstrated that
the cemetery and the cultural center could not coexist, he
would locate the cultural center elsewhere, using the
Snipiskes site for a lower-impact project.

Analysis and Comment
--------------


7. (C) Many in the GOL seem to recognize the importance of
taking the international community's feelings into account on
this issue, and have demonstrated their seriousness by
meeting with outside groups (such as FM Vaitiekunas's
meetings with the AJC and B'nai Brith on the margins of UNGA,
and the high-level meetings granted on short notice to Rabbi
Baker on September 28-29). However, there appears to be no
one who wants to take the lead on this issue. That said, we
believe we are making headway with the most difficult player:
the Mayor of Vilnius. He is still intent on developing the
site, but now talks about doing so with consideration for its
religious and cultural history, and in cooperation with
outside experts. This week, he acknowledged to us for the
first time that his dream of a gleaming new cultural center
could be built somewhere else besides Snipiskes. His
newfound flexibility could go a long way toward assuaging
those -- especially in the Orthodox community -- who oppose
any use of the site.


8. (C) The MFA's request to the PM that its Vice Minister no
longer hold the chair of the intra-governmental working group
on Snipiskes is, in part, a reflection of the "hot potato"
nature of the subject. The Prime Minister recently tasked
the Culture and Environment Ministries, along with the
Vilnius regional government, to compile a report of the
working group's conclusions on how to establish the
cemetery's true boundaries and proposals for next steps. We
have reason to believe that, with the Mayor's desire for
development restrained by our latest offensive, the report
and its proposals could head in the right direction. Our
next tasks will be to ensure that they do, and that the Mayor
does not later derail them.
CLOUD