In a powerful statement, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the recent cutting down of a memorial tree dedicated to Ilan Halimi, a Jewish man who was brutally tortured and murdered by a gang in 2006. Macron emphasized that this act of vandalism was "an attempt to kill him a second time" and pledged that all efforts would be made to catch the perpetrator.
The olive tree, which had stood for 14 years in Épinay-sur-Seine, was one of several memorials for Halimi. Its discovery, felled and discarded, led to outrage as Paris police announced an immediate investigation. Halimi's murder shocked France, as he was targeted for his Jewish identity and held captive for three weeks by the Barbarian gang, who sought to extort money from his family.
Macron reiterated France's commitment to combating antisemitism, stating, "The Republic is always uncompromising" in the face of hate. Prime Minister François Bayrou also condemned the "antisemitic hatred" behind the act, reaffirming that such crimes cannot erase the memory of the victims.
This isn't the first time memorials for Halimi have been disrespected; in 2019, another tree was cut down in a related incident. As France grapples with the persistence of antisemitic acts, leaders continue to call for vigilance in their fight against hate.
