Lee Zeitouni
Protests outside French Ambassador's residence in jaffa
Photo: Ofer Heichal
Paris mayor: Lee Zeituni hit and run intolerable
Friends and family of young woman killed in hit and run accident receive French official's support in bid to have her killers extradited
Mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoë has promised Sunday that he would work to have those responsible for the hit and run in which Lee Zeitouni was killed,
arrested and brought to trial. "I wish to have justice seen and carried out," he said at a press conference held outside the residence of France's Ambassador to Israel Christophe Bigot in Jaffa.
Delanoe was met by dozens of Lee Zeituni's friends and family who were there protesting the authorities' powerlessness in dealing with the flight of those responsible for the hit and run to the French capital shortly after the event.
Fatal Crash
Black X6 BWM vehicle speeds into Tel Aviv junction, fatally colliding into twenty five-year-old Lee Zeitouni. Driver escapes scene, flees country. After extensive manhunt, police locates vehicle owner in Paris. Authorities working to issue arrest warrant with Interpol
"First and foremost, I would like to express my solidarity with the victim's family, standing here outside," Delanoe said. "I think this shocking and disgraceful incident which led to the death of a young woman is not just painful, but completely intolerable."
He added that while he was not part of the law enforcement system, he would try to use his influence to expedite the process to exercise the full rigor of the law against those responsible. "I ask the police and the French justice system to take every necessary measure to have these people arrested, judged and punished so that the victim's family will receive justice."
Lee Zeituni was killed in a hit-and-run accident in central Tel Aviv two months ago. The driver, who escaped the scene, fled the country immediately after the accident, and was located in Paris a day later by the police.
Paris Mayor Delanoe in Jaffa (Photo: Ofer Heichal)
The driver and passenger remain in Paris in spite of many efforts by Zeituni's friends and family to have them extradited to Israel.
'Serious issues'
The Paris mayor, who is a member of France's Socialist party, which constitutes part of the opposition, also addressed the recent stance expressed by the French foreign minister, who said that he was opposed to a strike against Iran's nuclear facilities.
Delanoe said that "these were very serious issues and we must be very careful before saying things without distinction. I can say that it is the international community's absolute duty to ensure that Iran never has nuclear weapons. This is an urgent matter, but Chinese and Russian diplomacy do not make things easy."
- Receive Ynetnews updates
directly to your desktop
