Sirens halt Israel for Holocaust Remembrance Day as antisemitism surges
Video. Israel observed Holocaust Remembrance Day on Tuesday, 14 April 2026, with a nationwide two-minute silence that brought the country to a halt, as ceremonies at Yad Vashem took place amid growing concern over a global rise in antisemitic incidents and rhetoric.
Updated: 14/04/2026 - 11:21 GMT+2
Israel observed Holocaust Remembrance Day on Tuesday, 14 April 2026, with a nationwide two-minute silence that brought the country to a halt, as ceremonies at Yad Vashem took place amid growing concern over a global rise in antisemitic incidents and rhetoric.
Across Israel, sirens at 10:00 brought daily life to a halt, with people stopping in the streets, drivers stepping out of their cars and public transport pausing in cities such as Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. The day is dedicated to the memory of the six million Jews murdered during the Second World War.
Official ceremonies took place at the Yad Vashem memorial in Jerusalem, attended by President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The event included the laying of wreaths, the reading of victims’ names and testimonies from survivors’ families, underscoring the ongoing duty to remember and teach the Shoah across generations.
On Monday, Tel Aviv University reported 20 deaths in antisemitic attacks worldwide in 2025, noting that this was the highest level in over 30 years. Researchers warned that global antisemitism is on the rise, giving added weight to this year’s commemoration and its call for vigilance, education and the protection of Jewish communities.
