JERUSALEM: The sound of sirens brought Israel to a halt to mourn the six million Jews perished in the Holocaust. As the two-minute sirens pierced the air at 10 a.m. on Thursday, people around the country stood in mournful silence in memory of the six million Jews killed by the Nazis during World War II, according to reports.
Many drivers stepped out of their vehicles and stood still in thought on city streets and highways. Pedestrians came to a halt and remained silently. Many people stopped what they were doing and stood still in their homes, workplaces, and offices to remember the victims of the Nazi atrocities.
The annual ceremony is part of a series of Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day festivities, which is an official day to commemorate the Jews who died at the hands of Nazi Germany and its collaborators during World War II. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and President Isaac Herzog attended an official wreath-laying ceremony at Yad Vashem, Israel's Holocaust memorial museum in Jerusalem.
The Israeli Parliament, MPs, and officials took part in lighting tribute candles for the victims at the Knesset. Miki Levy, the Speaker of the Knesset, and Barbel Bas, his German equivalent, lit lights together.
"In front of the Holocaust victims, I bow my head in humiliation and shame," Bas stated after the candles were lighted. "We can't forget, and we won't forget. Commitment is the source of our historical shame. We must resolutely combat anti-Semitism in all of its forms, as well as preserve and revitalise the memory of the Holocaust and pass it on to future generations "she said.
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