Commercial distribution of Adolf Hitler’s manifesto risks undermining efforts to combat antisemitism, Israel’s Embassy in Lithuania warned as a local publisher prepares an annotated translation of Mein Kampf for December release, Ynetnews reported.
The Israeli Embassy expressed profound shock and outrage at the intention to publish and distribute the roughly 800-page book. Prepared by Polish historian and political scientist Eugeniusz Cezary Król, the publication includes upwards of 1,500 critical annotations, historical explanations, and footnotes.
“The embassy expresses our profound shock and outrage at the intention to publish and distribute a Lithuanian translation of Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf,’” the embassy said.
The embassy argued that an essential distinction must be made between controlled academic study and the commercial distribution of a manifesto promoting racial hatred and genocide. For Lithuanian Jews bearing deep Holocaust scars, the book remains a unique symbol of murderous hatred, according to the diplomatic mission.
Publisher Obuolys defended the project by emphasizing that the text is already widely accessible online and in older editions lacking historical commentary. Publishing project manager Daiva Latinienė said that the company prepared a critical edition following lengthy discussions to help readers assess the dangerous ideology.
“The decision had followed lengthy discussions, emphasizing that the company was preparing a critical edition designed to help readers understand and assess the dangerous ideology presented in Hitler’s writing,” Latinienė told ynetglobal.
Lithuanian Culture Minister Lukas Alsys expressed personal reservations about the publication. He said that the present moment might not be appropriate for releasing such a controversial work, suggesting publishers consider refraining from such projects.
At the same time, Alsys acknowledged that historical annotations could contribute to academic research. Drawing a parallel, he likened the necessity for a critical review of the publication to how Lithuania handles Soviet-era art and literature.
Arūnas Bubnys, acting head of Lithuania’s Genocide and Resistance Research Centre, wrote the introduction and supervised the historical accuracy of the translation. The scholarly community will evaluate the edition after publication to determine whether its commentary adequately reflects contemporary historical understanding.
