French President Emmanuel Macron has promised punishment because of an act of antisemitic “hatred”. This comes because of the chopping of a tree planted in memory of Ilan Halimi, a man tortured to death in 2006.
This incident has triggered a lot of outrage. Politicians across the political spectrum continue to condemn the act as an attack against the memory of Halimi, a 23 YO kidnapped by a gang of 20 people and tortured in the Paris suburb of Bagneux.
Found a number of days later, Halimi died on being rushed to the hospital. In 2011, France planted a tree in memory of this young man. But just recently, serious reports emerged that the tree in the northern Paris suburb of Epinay-sur-Seine had been felled.
Increase in antisemitic acts and hate crimes in France
The latest incident has stoked fresh concerns about an increase in antisemitic acts and hate crimes in France as international tensions rise about the situation in Gaza. Multiple countries across the globe are seeing tremendous protests about Israel’s actions in Gaza.
In October 2023, Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on southern Israeli cities, killing some 1,200 people and taking hundreds of others hostage. This incident made global headlines and attracted condemnation.
Just moments later, Israel launched a fierce military retailiation against Hamas in Gaza. This act has been continuing till date and tens of thousands of Palestinians are already dead in the besieged territory.
