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Vandals chop down tree honoring Jewish man tortured and killed in antisemitic attack

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French leaders are condemning vandals who chopped down a tree honoring a Jewish man who was kidnapped and tortured for over three weeks before dying on the way to a hospital.
In 2006, a group that called itself the «Gang of Barbarians,» led by Youssouf Fofana, kidnapped Ilan Halimi, a 23-year-old Jewish man. For more than three weeks, Halimi was held hostage and tortured. Believing an old antisemitic stereotype, Halimi’s captors assumed his family was wealthy and demanded a ransom it could not afford.
At least 27 people participated in Halimi’s abduction and torture, but it is believed that more knew of the crime and did not report it to law enforcement.
On Feb. 13, 2006, Halimi was found naked, handcuffed and barely clinging to life at a train station. He died while being transported to a hospital.
A picture of Ilan Halimi at a makeshift memorial Feb. 13, 2019, in Sainte-Genevieve-des-Bois. (Bertrand Guay/AFP via Getty Images)
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The commemorative olive tree, planted in Halimi’s honor 14 years ago, was cut down late Wednesday night. The Associated Press reported the felling appeared to be done with a chainsaw.
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the act, saying, «Cutting down the tree honoring Ilan Halimi is an attempt to kill him a second time.
«It will not succeed: the nation will not forget this child of France who died because he was Jewish,» he added.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou said, «No crime can uproot his memory.»
In response, U.S. Ambassador to France Charles Kushner thanked Bayrou for his «strong and unequivocal» condemnation of the felling of the memorial tree.
«I hope your clear condemnation, as the leader of the French government, stands as a model of principled leadership and zero tolerance toward the surge of antisemitism in France and worldwide. Your statement will resonate far beyond the immediate context, reassuring those targeted and inspiring all who cherish tolerance,» Kushner wrote on X.

This photo shows a memorial stele and the trunk of an olive tree, reportedly cut down with a chainsaw. The tree was planted in 2011 to honor Ilan Halimi in Epinay-sur-Seine, near Paris, Aug. 15, 2025. Halimi, a young French Jew, was kidnapped and tortured to death in 2006. (Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images)
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Despite strongly condemning the incident, Macron was not praised by Israeli Minister of Diaspora and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli. The Israeli official pointed to Macron’s recent promise to recognize a Palestinian state and suggested the French president effectively «wielded the axe.»
«Macron rushed to condemn it — but I told him his own hands wielded the axe. No French president has been more hostile to the Jewish community since the Vichy regime,» Chikli wrote.
«By pushing recognition of a Palestinian state — under the heavy shadow of the October 7 atrocities, while our people rot in captivity — Macron places himself at the political vanguard of Hamas and of the surging tide of global antisemitism.»
In the years since Halimi’s murder, France has grappled with antisemitic incidents, including a 2015 attack on the Hyper Cacher store in Paris that left four dead. In March, just over 10 years after the attack, the store was targeted again. An arsonist set a fire that damaged the front of the store and some of its interior, according to The Times of Israel.

A view of the slogan «EL AL genocide airline» sprayed with red paint on the entrance of the EL AL Israel Airlines offices in Paris Aug. 7, 2025. (Noemie Olive/Reuters)
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Antisemitism in France has persisted since the war in Gaza began in 2023 after Hamas’ brutal Oct. 7 massacre. Jews in France have not only seen mass protests against Israel. They have been victims of antisemitic violence.
In June 2024, a 12-year-old girl was raped by three teen boys who, according to police reports, uttered death threats and antisemitic remarks during the attack. The incident sparked outrage in France and was condemned by Macron.
According to The Times of Israel, the boys were charged with sexual assault on a minor and recording and sharing sexual images, aggravated by religious motivation. The outlet reported that two of the attackers, who were 13 at the time of the rape, were sentenced to nine and seven years in prison. One assailant could not be sentenced to jail due to his age and would reportedly be placed in closed foster care for five years.

Protesters hold signs that say «raped at 12 because Jewish» during a demonstration in Paris June 20, 2024, after the alleged antisemetic gang rape of a 12-year-old girl in Paris’ suburb of Courbevoie. (Zakaria Abdelkafi/AFP via Getty Images)
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Recently, the Israeli airline El Al has been a target for antisemitism in France. Earlier this month, the company’s Paris offices were vandalized with red paint and anti-Israel graffiti. The vandals wrote that El Al was a «genocide airline.»
Just days later, a French air traffic controller broadcast «Free Palestine» to El Al pilots. The worker has since been suspended. El Al called the remarks «unprofessional and inappropriate.»
Fofana, who led the attack on Halimi, was sentenced to life in prison in 2009 and is not eligible for parole for 22 years. Two of his accomplices were sentended to 15 and 18 years in prison. A man who was a minor at the time of the attack was also sentenced to 15 years in prison. A girl who used to lure Halimi was sentenced to nine years in prison.
anti semitism,france,crime,emmanuel macron
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George Santos expresses gratitude to Trump following commutation of his 7-year prison sentence

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Disgraced former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., took to social media Saturday to thank President Donald Trump for commuting his prison sentence, saying the commander in chief’s «kindness» and «generosity» moved him deeply.
Trump announced the commutation late Friday, ordering Santos’ immediate release from federal prison, where he was serving a seven-year sentence for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in New Jersey.
In a lengthy post on X, Santos expressed gratitude for both his faith and the President.
«Yesterday, I was given something I never thought I’d have again: a true second chance at life,» Santos posted to X Saturday evening. «First and foremost, I want to thank our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for never abandoning me. … I also want to express my deepest gratitude to President Donald J. Trump.»
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Santos said he spoke personally with Trump earlier Saturday, a conversation he said he «will never forget.»
Former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., took to social media on Saturday to thank President Trump for commuting his prison sentence. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
«President Trump reminded me that in this country we love so much, no mistake, no hardship, and no fall from grace can take away the possibility of renewal,» Santos said. «His faith in second chances reignited my own, and for that, I will be forever thankful.»
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The former congressman also thanked his supporters who stood by him and said that, going forward, he plans to focus on prison reform, inspired by Trump’s historic peace deal he secured between Israel and Hamas earlier this month.
«Inspired by President Trump’s work toward peace in the Middle East, I am dedicating myself to doing good, to building bridges instead of walls,» Santos said. «My focus will be on prison reform and accountability, ensuring that those in power uphold the dignity and humanity of every person in their care.»

Santos said he spoke personally with Trump earlier Saturday, a conversation he said he «will never forget.» (Stephen Nadler/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)
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Santos also accused officials at the Federal Correctional Institution in Fairton, New Jersey, of mistreatment.
«No one should ever be dehumanized or degraded like I was by the FCI Fariton Warden Kelly and Assistant Warden Nobile,» Santos said. «My goal now is to turn my past into something meaningful, to help create a justice system that truly believes in rehabilitation and second chances.»
In his Truth Social post announcing the commutation, Trump described Santos as «somewhat of a rogue» but argued his punishment was excessive.

Former U.S. Rep. George Santos arrives at court in Central Islip, N.Y., Aug. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah)
«At least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN!» Trump said. «George has been in solitary confinement for long stretches of time and, by all accounts, has been horribly mistreated. Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!»
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In April, Santos was sentenced to 87 months in prison after pleading guilty to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of nearly a dozen people to funnel fraudulent contributions to his campaign. He reported to FCI Fairton in July.
The former representative, elected in 2022, served in Congress for close to a year before being ousted in 2023 by his House colleagues.
The FCI New Jersey did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
george santos,politics,donald trump,congress,crime world
INTERNACIONAL
Crece el escándalo de la joven sorprendida junto a un cura semidesnudo: ahora investigan a su suegro

El caso del cura que fue sorprendido en su casa junto a una joven de 21 años -ella vestida con un baby doll, él semidesnudo-, derivó en una investigación policial que ya tiene a cuatro personas en la mira: entre ellos, el suegro de la mujer, dos amigos del novio y una mujer.
Según confirmó el comisario Franklin Alves al sitio g1, la policía realizó este jueves una serie de allanamientos y secuestró tres celulares, entre ellos el del propio suegro de la joven.
Leé también: Habló el novio de la joven que fue sorprendida junto a un cura semidesnudo: “Ruptura de confianza”
Los investigadores buscan determinar el rol de cada uno de los involucrados en la invasión a la casa del cura Luciano Braga Simplício y en la posterior difusión de las imágenes, que generaron un fuerte impacto emocional en la víctima, Isabelly, y un revuelo sin precedentes en la ciudad de Nova Maringá, que cuenta con poco más de 5 mil habitantes. Suspendieron al cura Luciano Braga Simplício mientras se investiga el escándalo. (Foto: gentileza Veja).
Cómo arrancó el escándalo
El incidente, grabado en video, muestra el momento en que dos hombres y una mujer -uno de los cuales se cree que es el suegro del novio- derriban la puerta del baño y encuentran a Isabelly llorando escondida debajo de la pileta.

El sacerdote Luciano Braga Simplício fue suspendido tras el escándalo. (Foto: gentileza NDMais).
Según el comisario, la mujer que acompañaba al grupo intentó frenar la situación y pidió que no siguieran adelante, pero no logró evitar la exposición.
“Fue la familia del exnovio ( la que invadió y expuso la situación del cura y la joven, junto a amigos”, detalló Alves, quien remarcó que la investigación apunta a individualizar la responsabilidad de cada uno de los participantes.
Los delitos que investiga la policía
La causa avanza bajo la sospecha de varios delitos graves como invasión de domicilio, daño calificado, restricción ilegal, exposición de imágenes íntimas y daño psicológico a la víctima.
La policía aclaró que la investigación se inició luego de que Isabelly radicara una denuncia por la difusión de las imágenes.
Con los celulares secuestrados, ahora los peritos buscarán reconstruir cómo se produjo la viralización del video y si existen contradicciones en los testimonios de los involucrados. “Buscamos elementos objetivos que nos permitan tener certeza sobre lo que ocurrió y evitar que el proceso se caiga en el futuro”, explicó el delegado.
Habló el novio de la joven que fue sorprendida junto a un cura semidesnudo
En un comunicado, Bruno Griebeler, el ahora exprometido de la joven aseguró que estaba “totalmente al margen de la situación que se hizo pública”.
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Según declaró a través de su abogado, estaba en un viaje de trabajo a Río Grande do Sul cuando ocurrió la polémica situación.

Bruno, el ahora exprometido, junto a Isabelly. (Foto: gentileza ND Mais).
Además, remarcó que los hechos “tuvieron origen en actitudes profundamente reprobables, marcadas por la ruptura de confianza, el irrespeto y la ausencia de cualquier sentido de responsabilidad moral o religiosa”.
Según el sitio ND Mais, Bruno fue advertido del presunto engaño de su prometida, una joven muy devota que hacía de monaguilla en la Parroquia Nossa Senhora Aparecida, a través de mensajes enviados por amigos. Algunos apuntan a que la joven habría estado en la casa parroquial durante la madrugada.
Leé también:Habló el cura que fue sorprendido semidesnudo con una joven en una parroquia: “Dije que sí”
Qué dijo el cura tras el escándalo
En un audio que se hizo viral, el sacerdote negó cualquier tipo de relación con la joven y aseguró que ella solo le pidió permiso para usar el cuarto y darse una ducha, ya que había trabajado esa mañana en la iglesia para acompañarlo en la liturgia y en el servicio del altar. La joven asistía al cura en la misa. (Foto: gentileza NDMais).
“Isabela preguntó si podía ir a la casa parroquial a cambiarse de ropa, porque llegó por la mañana y quería cambiarse. Así que le dije que sí”, explicó Luciano Braga Simplício, según el sitio ND Mais.
El cura dijo que fue a ducharse, y al salir del baño escuchó a la joven gritar que “había gente”.
“Salí de la ducha. Isa no estaba en el baño ni en el armario, estaba en el living, gritando. Entonces le dije: ‘Isa, voy a abrir la puerta, quédate aquí a un lado para que nadie te vea y no piensen nada…”, dijo Luciano. Isabelly estaba escondida debajo de la pileta del baño. (Foto: captura de video).
“No tenía nada, el problema es que cuando llegaron yo me había ido a duchar y ella estaba ahí, no quería que la vieran (…) No hay nada, más allá de eso”, explicó el sacerdote.
La reacción de la Iglesia y el impacto en la comunidad
La Diócesis de Diamantino, responsable de la parroquia donde trabaja el padre Luciano Braga Simplício, informó que inició una investigación interna sobre la conducta del sacerdote.

Tras el escándalo, el cura Luciano Braga Simplício fue reempleazado por el padre Pedro Hagassis, de 76 años. (Foto: gentileza g1).
Mientras tanto, el joven y dinámico cura, que era muy activo en redes sociales, fue suspendido y reemplazado por otro de 76 años, el padre Pedro Hagassis.
Brasil, Cura, escándalo
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