ILAN HALIMI: THE TRIBUTE CONTINUES TO RAIN, 17 YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH

Seventeen years to the day after the death of Ilan Halimi, tortured and killed by the « Gang des barbares » in Saint-Geneviève-des-Bois, in Essonne (91), in 2006, tributes continue to rain this Sunday 12 February.

Tributes are organized each year on the anniversary of his death, which occurred on February 13, 2006.

A rally took place in memory of Ilan Halimi, killed 17 years ago, this Sunday, February 12 at 2 p.m. in Paris at 229 boulevard Voltaire, in front of the telephone store where Ilan Halimi worked. As every year, speeches were made followed by the lighting of candles and the recitation of the kaddish.

Among the hundred people, a few personalities such as the writer Marek Halter, Imam Chalghoumi, the president of Crif Yonathan Arfi but also Francis Szpiner, mayor of the 16th arrondissement of Paris and lawyer for the Halimi family at the time of the tragedy.

While all the members of the Barbarians gang have now been released from prison – with the exception of Youssouf Fofana, who is sentenced to life imprisonment – the motto of the rally was « Neither forgetfulness nor forgiveness », as explained by the organizer of the demonstration Alexandra Barouch, vice-president of the UPJF.

“Ilan could have been my brother, my nephew, my cousin, and to forget him would be like telling those barbarians to kill him a second time. « The State would take the measure of anti-Semitism and make it a national fight. But that has not been the case, which is why we continue to fight with our small means. We demand concrete action: schools must fight with their means against anti-Semitism and justice must provide an appropriate and firm response ».

The ceremony also paid tribute to the other Jews killed because they were Jews: Sébastien Selam, killed in 2003, the children Myriam Monsonego, Gabriel Sandler and Arié Sandler, their father Jonathan Sandler, killed in 2012, Philippe Braham, Yohan Cohen, Yoav Hattab and François-Michel Saada, killed in 2015, Sarah Halimi, killed in 2017, and Mireille Knoll, killed in 2018.

A hundred people gathered on Boulevard Voltaire, in front of the telephone store where the young man worked before he was kidnapped.

Killed at the age of 23, Ilan rests in Jerusalem. Tributes are organized each year on the anniversary of his death.
A tribute organized by the town hall will take place this Monday, February 13 at 11 a.m. in Sainte-Geneviève-des-Bois (Essonne), at the Pont de la Fouille, rue Antoine Rocca.

French singer Calogero evoked the memory of Ilan Halimi in a new title, « By choice or by chance ».

A tribute was held in Marseille, by the mayor of the 6th and 8th arrondissements, this Sunday February 12 at 11 a.m., around the tree planted in memory of Ilan Halimi in the Parc de Bagatelle (125 rue du Commandant Rolland).

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Gabriel MIHAI

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