Israel pays tribute to six million victims of Holocaust

ISRAEL fell silent yesterday to honour the six million Jews who perished in the Holocaust as ceremonies across the country marked remembrance day, 60 years after the liberation of the Nazi death camps.

The nation came to a standstill in a two-minute silence at 10.00am, signalled by deafening air-raid sirens and traffic grinding to a halt.

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon flew to Poland with 20 Holocaust survivors who emigrated to Israel and 20 of their grandchildren serving in the army to join a memorial ceremony at the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi death camp.