Israel came to a standstill Thursday at 10 a.m as a siren rang out to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day and 70 years since the end of WWII.
Holocaust Memorial Day was marked with a series of events, which began Wednesday evening with a state ceremony at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem.
The event, which was broadcast live on Israeli television, began with the poignant lighting of six torches by six Holocaust survivors accompanied by their grandchildren.
In an address, Israelis Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that the nascent nuclear deal with Iran demonstrates that the lessons of the Holocaust have not been learned.
“The main lesson of the Second World War, for democracies, is that they cannot turn a blind eye to tyrannical regimes.” And yet, “The West is capitulating in the face of Iran’s aggressive actions,” explaining “Iranian leaders are exporting death and destruction. The world is not listening to the calls in Iran urging Death to Israel, Death to America.”
"The bad agreement with Iran teaches that the lesson of history has not been internalized in the face of Iran's aggressive activities," Netanyahu said. "The West is giving up instead of demanding that a significant dismantling of Iran's nuclear capability and condition the lifting of the sanctions. The powers are retreating, they are leaving Iran with its nuclear capabilities and even allow it to expand them in the future, its activities in the Middle East notwithstanding.
"Seventy years ago, we were a nation of helpless refugees – today we can speak for ourselves. We are determined to ensure our existence and our future. Our job is to fight those who want to destroy us… we will not allow the State of Israel to become a fleeting episode in the history of our people," Netanyahu said.
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin added a more hopeful note, saying that although “We will not belittle any threats,” that “The horrors of the past and the threats of the present, will not dictate our lives, nor shape the lives of our children. They will not dim our hopes for a future of creation and prosperity.”
The two-minute siren that sounded across the country signalled the start of another ceremony at Yad Vashem during which wreaths will be laid by numerous dignitaries, from government, the foreign diplomatic corps and beyond. Soon afterwards, the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, began its “Every Person Has a Name” ceremony, during which the names of those who perished in the Holocaust were recited.
Across the country, schools and some work places held their own memorial ceremonies. All television and radio broadcasts were either suspended for the day or aired exclusively Holocaust-related programming.