Security camera footage shows unknown persons cutting down an olive tree, which was planted in the Parc des Senteurs in Epinay-sur-Seine, near Paris, in 2011 in memory of the late Ilan Halimi, a young Jewish man who was murdered in 2006.
The olive tree was planted in a ceremony attended by the Chief Rabbi of France and members of the Jewish community and dedicated to the memory of Halimi who was abducted and tortured for 24 days before dying of his wounds on February 13, 2006. The memorial plaque at the base of the tree remained intact.
French President Emmanuel Macron was quick to condemn the act: "The cutting down of the tree in memory of Ilan Halimi is an attempt to kill him a second time. It will not happen: the nation will not forget this French boy who died because he was Jewish. Every measure will be taken to punish this act of hate. In the face of antisemitism: the Republic is always uncompromising."
Epinay-sur-Seine Mayor Hervé Chevreau stated that he has no doubt the incident was motivated by antisemitism. “It was well known that this olive tree honored Ilan Halimi,” he said, adding that a formal complaint had been filed for “destruction of property intended for public use or decoration.”
Chevreau pledged that the tree would be replanted and that the city would continue to honor the young man’s memory, a powerful symbol in the fight against antisemitism.