State Flags Lowered In Israel In Memory Of Russian Tu-154 Crash Victims

October 11 was announced in Israel a day of national mourning in memory of the victims killed in the Tu-154 crash into the Black Sea. State flags were lowered at all state offices and the Israeli embassies abroad. On Thursday, the Knesset (parliament) will hold a special mourning session which will be addressed by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, leader of the opposition Yossi Sarid, Parliamentary Speaker Avraham Burg and heads of the parliamentary factions. The session will also be attended by Russian Ambassador to Israel Mikhail Bogdanov. The crash took the toll of 51 lives of Israeli citizens. However, the mourning was not announced until now, because the Jewish religious tradition bans any mourning during the Sukkoth which ended only on Wednesday. On Wednesday evening, the plane with the remains of the killed in the air crash, found in the region of the tragedy, landed at the Israeli Ben Gurion international airport.