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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 25 april 2017
Siren wails as Israel marks annual Holocaust Remembrance Day

ARON HELLER ed over 4,700,000 names of
Associated Press the victims.
JERUSALEM (AP) — Is- “It is a race against the
rael came to a standstill clock to collect as many
on Monday as people names of those murdered
stopped in their tracks for during the Holocaust be-
a two-minute siren that fore there are no more sur-
wailed across the country vivors left,” said Alexander
in remembrance of the Avram, the director of Vad
Holocaust’s 6 million Jew- Vashem’s Hall of Names.
ish victims. The ritual is the At the opening ceremony
centerpiece of Israel’s an- on Sunday night, Netan-
nual Holocaust Remem- yahu spoke about what he
brance Day for those who said was the world’s indif-
were systematically killed ference to the genocide
by Nazi Germany and its of the Jews in World War II
collaborators during World and how Israel is the guar-
War II. Pedestrians stood antee the Jewish people
in place, buses stopped will never be that weak
on busy streets and cars again.
pulled over on major high- “The lesson is that we must
ways — their drivers stand- be able to defend our-
ing on the roads with their selves by ourselves, against
heads bowed. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, President Reuven Rivlin, right, and the Chair- every threat, against every
In homes and businesses, man of the Yad Vashem, Avner Shalev stand during a sirens as part of a ceremony marking at the enemy,” he said.
Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial, in Jerusalem, Monday, April 24, 2017.
people stopped what they (Amir Cohen/Pool Photo via AP) President Reuven Rivlin
were doing to pay hom- took a different approach.
age to the victims of the Restaurants, cafes and year’s commemorations at rial called on the public to He said although the Ho-
Nazi genocide, in which places of entertainment Yad Vashem is “Restoring share testimony and pro- locaust is “permanently
a third of world Jewry was shut down, and radio and Their Identities: The Fate of vide more names of those branded in our flesh” it “is
annihilated. TV programs are dedi- the Individual During the who perished. To date, Yad not the lens through which
A wreath laying ceremony cated almost exclusively Holocaust.” Vashem’s Shoah Victims’ we should examine our
at the Yad Vashem Holo- to documentaries about The Holocaust memo- Names Project has collect- past and our future.”q
caust memorial followed, the Holocaust, interviews
with Israeli leaders and Ho- with survivors and somber
locaust survivors in atten- music. The Israeli flag flew
dance. A public reading of at half-staff. Israel was es-
names also took place in tablished in 1948, just three
Israel’s parliament, where years after the end of the
Prime Minister Benjamin war, and hundreds of
Netanyahu and other thousands of survivors fled
leaders recited names of there. Some 160,000 elder-
relatives who were killed. ly survivors remain, with a
Other ceremonies, prayers similar number worldwide.
and musical performances With the passing years,
took place in schools, com- and the dwindling in num-
munity centers and army bers of survivors, greater
bases around the country. emphasis has been put on
The annual remembrance commemorating their indi-
is one of the most solemn vidual stories.
days on Israel’s calendar. The central theme of this
Cement multinational CEO resigns
over “tensions” due to Syria deals

JAMEY KEATEN wrongdoing linked to now-
Associated Press discontinued Syria opera-
GENEVA (AP) — The top tions. LafargeHolcim said
executive of LafargeHol- the review turned up fail-
cim announced Monday ings in its internal compli-
that he will resign, citing ance program and other
“strong tensions” facing controls, and said its board
the Swiss-French cement has mandated Olsen and
maker since its admis- his team to “implement re-
sion last month that it had medial measures” before
struck deals with armed he leaves on July 15.
groups in Syria — allegedly The company’s activities
including the radical Islam- with the armed groups
ic State group. The world’s came despite international
largest cement maker said sanctions against the Islam-
an internal investigation ic State group and the al-
has concluded that CEO Qaida-linked Nusra Front,
Eric Olsen was not respon- which are U.N.-designated
sible for or aware of any terror groups.q