Israel pays homage to fallen soldiers and terror victims

Israel came to a complete standstill for two minutes on Monday in honor of its fallen soldiers and the victims of terrorist attacks. President Shimon Peres paid homage to the dead in a ceremony on Sunday at Judaism's holiest site, the Wailing Wall in the Old City of Jerusalem. Peres called on Israel's enemies not to "underestimate Israel's capacity to defend itself."

According to official data, 112 members of the Israeli security forces, including police and the Shin Bet intelligence agency, have died on active service over the past 12 months.

From Monday night to Tuesday evening, Israelis will celebrate Yom Ha’atzmaut, the country’s Independence Day. The Jewish state was founded on 14 May 1948, which according to the Jewish calendar corresponds this year to 20 April.