21st April, 2020
Israel paused its lockdown restrictions on Tuesday to remember the murder of six million Jews by the Nazis on Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Across the country, sirens blared for two minutes, while the few pedestrians who were out in public and drivers pulled their cars over on streets and highways.
Israel has been under strict lockdown measures for more than a month in efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus, with most public life shut down, and many people working from home or out of work.
Others observed a moment of silence at homes from their balconies.
According to the Finance Ministry, 75 years after the end of World War II, there are still 189,500 Holocaust survivors in Israel.
About 70 per cent of them are above age 80 – making them particularly at risk from the COVID-19 disease as long as there’s no vaccination.
Meanwhile, the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem had streamed a state opening ceremony on Monday night online, with translation in five languages.
Yad Vashem also invited people from around the world to participate in a virtual name-reading ceremony by reciting the names of victims.