2-minute siren halts traffic as Israel remembers fallen

1.5 million Israelis mark Remembrance Day at military cemeteries throughout country; Mount Herzl military cemetery hosts official state ceremony attended by Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Peres and IDF Chief Gantz.

By JPOST.COM STAFF
siren standing yom hazikaron 311 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
siren standing yom hazikaron 311
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Israelis observed two-minutes of silence on Monday morning as a siren rang out across the country in honor of Israel's fallen soldiers on Remembrance Day.
Traffic stopped on highways and people halted their work days to observe the moment of silence on Monday at 11 a.m., after Remembrance Day was launched on Sunday evening with a one-minute siren.
The siren on Monday morning was followed by ceremonies in honor of the fallen at military cemeteries throughout the country.
The official state memorial ceremony commenced following the siren at the Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem. Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz were in attendance.
Israel, including the pre-state yishuv, has lost 25,578 casualties to war and terrorism since 1860, according to figures released by the Defense Ministry.
More than 1.5 million Israelis are expected to visit military cemeteries, and the Defense Ministry has organized hundreds of buses to transport people.
Yaakov Lappin contributed to this report.