French Prime Minister François Bayrou on Friday condemned the “antisemitic hatred” behind the destruction of a memorial tree planted in honor of Ilan Halimi, a young Jewish man tortured to death in 2006.
“The tree for Ilan Halimi, a living bulwark against oblivion, has been cut down by antisemitic hatred,” Bayrou wrote in a post on X.
He added, “No crime can eradicate memory. The never-ending fight against the deadly poison of hatred is our primary duty.”
Security camera footage showed unknown persons cutting down the olive tree in memory of Halimi, which was planted in the Parc des Senteurs in Epinay-sur-Seine, near Paris, in 2011.
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.
It is believed that the olive tree was likely felled overnight between Wednesday and Thursday, fueling renewed concern over a rise in antisemitic acts and hate crimes in France.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)