Israel: Military cemeteries to close for Remembrance Day
Country commemorates fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism amid pandemic
Israel's military cemeteries are to close at 4 pm local time -- 9 am Eastern Time -- as the country gears up to mark Remembrance Day under a lockdown imposed to contain the COVID-19 coronavirus.
On Remembrance Day, Yom Hazikaron, Israelis honor the 6,000 soldiers and civilians killed in the 1948 Independence War and all the fighters who have been killed on active duty in the years that followed.
Civilians killed in terrorist attacks are also commemorated on this day.
In previous years, Remembrance Day saw Israelis head to military cemeteries in their hundreds of thousands to pay respects to relatives or friends who lost their lives in action or due to terrorist violence.
This year, however, the cemeteries will remain shut when a siren wails throughout the country at 8 pm Monday. A second siren will go off 11 am Tuesday, marking the start of the official commemoration ceremonies.
All key events are set to be held with either a small audience or none at all and broadcast online as Israel seeks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
On Monday evening, a small memorial ceremony will be held at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City, and on Tuesday, a major ceremony will take place at Mount Herzl, the largest military cemetery in the country in the hills overlooking the capital.