In a case that shocked France, Ilan Halimi, a young Jewish man in Paris, was kidnapped and brutally tortured for three weeks before being dumped by a roadside, ultimately dying of his injuries on the way to hospital. He was 23 years old. The antisemitic attack, which occurred 20 years ago almost to the day, shook both the French Jewish community and French society as a whole.
In recent years, many of the trees planted for Halimi in France have been vandalized or cut down in antisemitic acts. The inauguration of the grove in Israel sends a powerful message of remembrance, resilience, and a firm stand against hatred— a deliberate choice to plant roots in a place where both identity and connection to the People and the Land of Israel are strengthened.
Around 45 members of the Walk for Water delegation from France, visiting Israel as part of their annual Zionist, values-driven journey to strengthen Jewish identity and connection to the State of Israel, participated in the inauguration ceremony, joined by about 30 youth and counselors from the Jewish-Zionist Scouts movement.
KKL France president Dr. Robert Zbili delivered remarks at the ribbon-cutting ceremony: "The inauguration of the grove in Ilan Halimi's memory is not only an act of commemoration but a clear statement of values. In the face of attempts to erase memory and harm the symbols of Jewish identity in France, we choose to build, to plant, and to deepen our roots here in Israel.
“The connection between the youth and leaders from France and the soil of the Negev is an educational, Zionist, and moral response to antisemitism. This is a struggle for memory, for identity, and for a shared future."
Since July 2025, KKL France has brought around 150 youth leaders from France to Israel through an extensive educational support and funding initiative that is an integral part of Zionist, values-based education and strengthens their connection to Israel.