Sirens bring Israel to halt on Holocaust Remembrance Day

0 Comments | AFP, April, 2007

JERUSALEM (AFP) — Sirens wailed across Israel on Monday, bringing traffic and pedestrians to a halt, as the Jewish state marked its annual Holocaust Remembrance Day.

As the sirens sounded at 0700 GMT for two minutes, cars braked in the streets and pedestrians stopped on the sidewalks to honour the memory of the six million Jews who were killed by the Nazis during World War II.

Motorists stood besides their cars on the highways. An elderly couple in Jerusalem stood with heads bowed in the middle of the crosswalk. A khaki-clad soldier, his automatic rifle slung over his shoulder, stood at attention.

Radio played melancholy Israeli folk music throughout the day and entertainment venues were closed.

The Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem hosted...