French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Friday condemned an act of "anti-Semitic hatred" after a memorial tree planted in tribute to a young French Jewish man tortured to death in 2006 had been cut down outside Paris.
"The tree for Ilan Halimi, a living bulwark against oblivion, has been cut down by anti-Semitic hatred," Bayrou said on X on Friday.
"No crime can eradicate memory. The never-ending fight against the deadly poison of hatred is our primary duty," he added.
The incident that occurred earlier in the week caused outrage in the French Jewish community after it was revealed that the olive tree, planted in 2011, in memory of Ilan Halimi, had been cut down with a chainsaw.
Ilan Halimi was held captive for over three weeks by a gang led by Youssouf Fofana. He was found naked, handcuffed and covered with burn marks near railroad tracks south of Paris on Feb. 13, 2006. He died on the way to a hospital. Fontana was sentenced to ten years in prison for the murder.
Herve Chevreau, the mayor of Epinay-sur-Seine, said on Thursday he had filed a complaint. "The fact that only this tree, honoring Halimi, was taken down points on the intent to desecrate the memory of a victim of antisemitism," he said.