A crowd gathers at the Jardin Ilan Halimi in Paris on Feb. 14, 2021, to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Halimi’s kidnapping and murder. Photo: Reuters/Xose Bouzas/Hans Lucas
An olive tree planted in memory of a young French Jewish man tortured to death in 2006 was vandalized and cut down this week, sparking outrage in France amid a troubling surge in antisemitic attacks.
In January 2006, Ilan Halimi was abducted, held captive, and tortured by a gang of about 20 people in a low-income housing estate in the Paris suburb of Bagneux.
Three weeks later, Halimi was found in Essonne, south of Paris, naked, gagged, and handcuffed, with clear signs of torture and burns. The 23-year-old died on the way to the hospital.
In 2011, an olive tree was planted in Halimi’s memory. On Friday, this memorial was found felled — probably with a chainsaw — in the northern Paris suburb of Epinay-sur-Seine.
Halimi’s memory has faced attacks before, with two other trees planted in his honor vandalized in 2019 in Essonne, where he was found dying near a railway track.
French officials have pledged to plant a new tree following the latest attack, which has drawn condemnation from the country’s local Jewish community amid a troubling rise in antisemitic acts.
French President Emmanuel Macron has condemned the incident, vowing that the perpetrators will be brought to justice while affirming that France’s fight against antisemitism will remain “uncompromising.”
“Felling the tree in honor of Ilan Halimi is a second attempt on his life. This will not happen: the nation will not forget this son of France who died for being Jewish,” the French leader said in a post on X.
Abattre l’arbre rendant hommage à Ilan Halimi, c’est chercher à le tuer une deuxième fois. Il n’en sera rien : la Nation n’oubliera pas cet enfant de France mort parce que Juif.
Tous les moyens sont déployés pour punir cet acte de haine.
Face à l’antisémitisme : la République,…
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 15, 2025
Authorities have opened a criminal investigation into the incident, with Paris police confirming that inquiries are underway.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou denounced the incident, calling the tree “a living bulwark against oblivion.”
“The never-ending fight against the deadly poison of hatred is our primary duty,” Bayrou said in a post on X.
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau also condemned the antisemitic attack, saying that “this act can only provoke disgust and anger.”
France’s Jewish community has faced a troubling surge in antisemitic incidents and anti-Israel sentiment since the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel on Oct.7, 2023.
Jewish leaders have consistently called on authorities to take swift action against the rising wave of targeted attacks and anti-Jewish hate crimes they continue to face.
Yonathan Arfi, president of the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions in France (CRIF), denounced this latest incident, declaring that “today’s antisemites are no better than those of yesterday.”
“This is not just another antisemitic act. It is a way for antisemites to shout their hatred toward Jews, saying: ‘We are here more than ever!’” Arfi said in a post on X.
Ce n’est pas qu’un acte antisémite de plus. C’est une manière pour les antisémites de hurler leur haine en disant aux Juifs : “nous sommes là plus que jamais !”
Il y a bientôt 20 ans, les antisémites du “gang des barbares” ont enlevé, séquestré, torturé et assassiné Ilan Halimi.… pic.twitter.com/a9LPg5C8sz
— Yonathan Arfi (@Yonathan_Arfi) August 14, 2025
Israel’s ambassador to France, Joshua Zarka, condemned the attack, calling it a “shameful desecration” and denouncing those responsible.
“It’s clear that condemnations will pour in and outrage will be widespread, but who will truly reflect on the forces that led to this new act of barbarity?” Zarka said in a post on X.
“Antisemitism is a sign of a sick society, and in Europe today it has surged to levels reminiscent of nearly a century ago,” he continued. “May our departed rest in peace, and may those wounded by this brutality find healing.”
L’olivier en mémoire d’Ilan Halimi a été tronçonné.
Choc. Incompréhension.Il est clair que les condamnations vont pleuvoir, l’indignation sera totale, mais qui réfléchira vraiment aux chemins qui ont mené à cette nouvelle barbarie ?
L’antisémitisme est le symptôme d’une… pic.twitter.com/A53V6mFsTJ
— Joshua L. Zarka (@yzarka) August 14, 2025
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Author: Ailin Vilches Arguello
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