JERUSALEM – The coffin of Israel’s former prime minister will lie in state at the Israeli parliament Knesset for public visiting, prior to the military funeral ceremony
The late ex-prime minister of Israel Ariel Sharon will be buried next to the grave of his wife at Negev Desert with a military funeral on Monday, following a state memorial service at the Israeli parliament Knesset, said Israeli Prime Ministry.
A committee to organize the state ceremony for Sharon scheduled to take place on Monday issued a written statement and released the details of the ceremony after a 6-hour overnight meeting at Israeli Prime Ministry.
Before the funeral, his body will lie in state at Knesset on Monday morning for public visiting amid strict security measures and no private vehicles will be allowed into the compound, detailed the statement.
All plenary sessions and committee meetings at the Knesset were postponed until after the funeral of Israel’s eleventh prime minister who died on Saturday after eight-year in coma.
Several world leaders are expected to attend Sharon’s funeral, including US Vice President Joe Biden.
Israeli President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden and Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein along with Sharon’s family members will reportedly make remarks during the state ceremony at the Knesset.
Among the other attendees of the funeral ceremony will be Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Czech Prime Minister Jiri Rusnok, Spanish Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz, and Canadian Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Chris Alexander.
