French President Emmanuel Macron has expressed his outrage and commitment to justice after a memorial tree honoring Ilan Halimi was cut down in Épinay-sur-Seine. The olive tree, which stood as a tribute to Halimi’s tragic story of kidnapping and murder at the hands of a Paris gang, was discovered severed and thrown into a nearby flowerbed.
The community was struck by grief as Macron condemned the act, stating it represented “an attempt to kill him a second time.” Emphasizing France's unyielding stance against antisemitism, he affirmed that everything would be done to find those responsible for this “act of hatred.”
In 2006, Halimi was abducted and tortured over a three-week period by a gang that sought a ransom from his family because of their perception of them as wealthy, motivated by his Jewish background. The heinous crime sparked outrage throughout the nation and highlighted the realities of antisemitism in France. Youssouf Fofana, the gang's leader, was sentenced to life in prison for his role, while others involved received lesser sentences.
Paris police chief Laurent Nuñez has initiated an investigation, with local authorities reporting that the olive tree was discovered cut down early Thursday morning. Macron reassured that France would not forget Halimi and reiterated, “In the face of antisemitism, the Republic is always uncompromising.”
French Prime Minister François Bayrou echoed this sentiment, attributing the act to antisemitic hatred and vowing that no crime can erase the memories of those impacted by such prejudice.
This act follows a troubling history of antisemitic vandalism in France, including the 2019 cutting down of another tree dedicated to Halimi and previous desecrations of plaques commemorating him. Macron’s firm statements following the incident seek to reinforce the government’s stance against the rise of antisemitism in France and a commitment to protecting its citizens' memories and identities.
