Ten years after the attacks in Toulouse and Montauban, in which seven people died under the bullets of Mohamed Merah, a series of commemorations took place this Sunday, March 20, 2022.
President Macron and his Israeli counterpart, Isaac Herzog, paid tribute to the seven victims, including Jewish children, killed by Mohamed Merah ten years ago in Toulouse, in the south-west of France. The two presidents laid a wreath in the courtyard of the Ohr Torah school, at the foot of the “Tree of Life”, a monument in honor of the victims.
The ceremony took place in particular in the presence of former French presidents François Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy, both in the middle of the campaign at the time of the events. During his speech, during which he paid tribute to each victim of the attack, Emmanuel Macron declared: ” We are here, together, to tell those who have been hit by barbarism that we support them. »
” And to say that France and Israel are determined to defeat terrorism in all its forms and on all fronts, and that we are determined to destroy anti-Semitism added the Head of State.
“The wound will always be there”
Before the arrival of the presidents, the schoolyard, where Mohamed Merah had killed two children, was first filled with former students and witnesses to the attack, invited by Crif to a ceremony around the rabbi and director of the establishment, Yaacov Monsonego.
Today, as I look around this room and see you, I know that we are no longer alone and never will be. Our enemies are more violent, but they will never be as numerous as we are. But we all remember where we were on March 19. (…) We will no longer give in and we will no longer bend
Franck Touboul, president of Crif Toulouse
More than 2,000 people were invited by Crif for this day. Fred, a parent at the school, had three daughters attending school on the day of the tragedy. Since then, two have left for Israel.
It’s very important, but for us ten years or one day, it’s the same. The hurt will always be there. Our children suddenly learned what it was to be Jewish. (…) Having experienced what they have experienced, our children are in this school like in a big family. We are all in constant contact
Fred, parent of former students of the school