Israel Holds Activities to Mourn Sept. 11 Victims

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, September 12, 2002

Israel Holds Activities to Mourn Sept. 11 Victims

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"To the American People: Israel deeply mourns the more than 3,000 victims of the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001. We share in your grief, We salute you, We stand with you." These are words appearing Wednesday on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel.

On the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 terror attacks on New York's World Trade Center (WTC), Israel held a series of commemorative activities around the country to mark the events and mourn the victims, five of whom were Israelis.

As part of a "Rolling Requiem" performance around the world in every time zone at 8:46 a.m., the time when the first hijacked plane crashed into the North Tower of WTC, the Israel Symphony Orchestra performed Mozart's requiem at the Tel Aviv Museum at 8:46a.m. local time (0546 GMT).

Later, in the town of Herzliya near Tel Aviv, counter-terrorism experts and high-ranking government officials held a symposium withthe theme of "Trends of Terrorism Post Sept. 11, 2001" in solidarity with the United States.

With flags being lowered to half-mast, Israel's official ceremony marking the Sept. 11 event began at 15:46 p.m. local time (8:46 a.m. in New York) at Israeli Prime Minister's office.

In his speech at the ceremony, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said "On this day, we stand together with the American people: we remember, grieve and will never forget."

US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Kurtzer said at the ceremony America can not win the battle against terror alone, and it needs the help of its allies.

On Wednesday, the Israel Museum opened an exhibition of photographs of Ground Zero, the site of the twin towers of the WTC,by American photographer Joel Meyerowitz, the only photographer whowas granted access to the site after the Sept. 11 event.

The exhibition was attended by Israeli President Moshe Katsav, who also wrote a letter to US President George W. Bush, saying "thesuccess of terror in any one part of the world will encourage terror elsewhere, no nation is immune from terror and its impact."

On Wednesday evening, a performance was held opposite the American Embassy in Tel Aviv. Dozens of beacons representing the WTC twin towers lightened the sky, and residents of Tel Aviv lighted thousands of memorial candles outside the embassy.

Residents of Tel Aviv also signed a condolence book in the RabinSquare, and the book is expected to be sent to New York.

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