Israelis prepare for Jewish Day of Atonement

Source: Xinhua| 2018-09-18 18:12:47|Editor: ZX
Video PlayerClose

JERUSALEM, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Israelis were getting ready for the holiest day in the Jewish calendar on Tuesday, when an entire nation would come to halt for Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement.

Yom Kippur is a time of reflection for Jews. Jews traditionally fast on the day and hold intense services in synagogues through most of the day, asking for God's forgiveness.

On this day, according to Jewish tradition, God "seals" the "Book of Life" in which each person's fate for the coming year is inscribed.

The day begins on Tuesday at dusk and ends on Wednesday at nightfall.

Throughout the night and on Tuesday morning, thousands of Israelis arrived at the Western Wall in east Jerusalem for penitential prayers ahead of the beginning of Yom Kippur.

During the two-day holiday, restaurants, cafes, cinemas, and other businesses and public institutions are all shut down. People completely refrain from using vehicles, except for medical emergencies.

According to a statement released by Israel's Magen David Adom medical emergency service on Monday, every year, thousands of people need medical care.

Eli Bin, Magen David's director, said he had raised the alert to the highest level and the stations will have more volunteers and paramedics.

Israel's military announced in a statement that a two-day closure was being imposed on the West Bank and Gaza Strip starting overnight between Monday and Tuesday.

Exit and entries to the Palestinian territories will be allowed only for humanitarian cases, the military said.

As part of the closure, all of the checkpoints in the West Bank and Gaza will be closed and Palestinians will not be allowed to exit or enter the territory, "except for humanitarian cases," the statement read.

The closure will not be imposed on Israeli settlers in the West Bank settlements.

Israel put closure on the occupied territories during most of the Jewish holidays, charging that Palestinian militants might use the holiday to carry out an attack.

TOP STORIES
EDITOR’S CHOICE
MOST VIEWED
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011100001374765661