Israel came to a halt for two minutes Thursday morning, as sirens sounded on Holocaust remembrance day.
Traffic came to a halt as people stopped their cars, got out and stood next to them to honor the 6 million Jews killed by Nazi forces and collaborators.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid a wreath at Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem in one of many ceremonies that took place across the country.
In Washington, the White House said in a statement, “We reaffirm our ongoing responsibility as citizens and as a nation to live out the admonition, ‘Never forget. Never again.’” The statement went on to say "Today, and every day, we stand in solidarity with the Jewish community both at home and abroad."
The annual remembrance day, called Yom HaShoah, began at sundown Wednesday evening.
