Many of the viewers might remember reading about this incident.
Ilan Halimi, a 10-year Yahrzeit and tragic legacy
by Abigail Dayan
Posted on Mar. 2, 2016 at 3:28 pm
8
Ilan Halimi. Photo from Facebook
Last week marked the 10th anniversary of the gruesome killing of Ilan Halimi. All over France, pictures of a good-looking and happy 23-year-old covered the front pages of Jewish publications. A number of large-circulation newspapers in the French capital followed suit and dedicated a page or two to the memory of the first victim of a new type of violence. Events and memorials, some distinguished by the presence of high government officials such as the interior minister, were held to commemorate his murder. The movie “24 Days,” which chronicles his abduction and brutal end, was screened free of charge for the benefit of those unfamiliar with Halimi’s story. After 10 years, the significance of his murder is only now obvious to everyone. Or, I should say, everyone in France.
It started on Jan. 20, 2006, when a pretty, young, Iranian-born woman entered the phone shop where Halimi worked. She wore a necklace bearing the word “Yalda,” a Persian name that also happens to have a Hebrew meaning. Did Halimi take her to be Jewish? We will never know. She pretended to be shopping for a cellphone and asked Halimi many questions about his merchandise, made small talk, smiled, batted her eyes and, finally, suggested they should get coffee some time. She left with Halimi’s phone number.
That night, after Halimi and his family had concluded their Shabbat dinner around 9 p.m., his phone rang. It was Yalda. She asked him to meet up at a popular location and she suggested he bring his car. She then directed him to a quiet alley in a deserted neighborhood where she pretended she lived. She stopped in front of a door in the middle of a dark alley and fumbled in her bag, as if she were looking for her keys, killing time. Three men arrived. Halimi was captured. It was a trap.
Continue reading at:
Ilan Halimi, a 10-year Yahrzeit and tragic legacy | World
Ilan Halimi, a 10-year Yahrzeit and tragic legacy
by Abigail Dayan
Posted on Mar. 2, 2016 at 3:28 pm
8
Ilan Halimi. Photo from Facebook
Last week marked the 10th anniversary of the gruesome killing of Ilan Halimi. All over France, pictures of a good-looking and happy 23-year-old covered the front pages of Jewish publications. A number of large-circulation newspapers in the French capital followed suit and dedicated a page or two to the memory of the first victim of a new type of violence. Events and memorials, some distinguished by the presence of high government officials such as the interior minister, were held to commemorate his murder. The movie “24 Days,” which chronicles his abduction and brutal end, was screened free of charge for the benefit of those unfamiliar with Halimi’s story. After 10 years, the significance of his murder is only now obvious to everyone. Or, I should say, everyone in France.
It started on Jan. 20, 2006, when a pretty, young, Iranian-born woman entered the phone shop where Halimi worked. She wore a necklace bearing the word “Yalda,” a Persian name that also happens to have a Hebrew meaning. Did Halimi take her to be Jewish? We will never know. She pretended to be shopping for a cellphone and asked Halimi many questions about his merchandise, made small talk, smiled, batted her eyes and, finally, suggested they should get coffee some time. She left with Halimi’s phone number.
That night, after Halimi and his family had concluded their Shabbat dinner around 9 p.m., his phone rang. It was Yalda. She asked him to meet up at a popular location and she suggested he bring his car. She then directed him to a quiet alley in a deserted neighborhood where she pretended she lived. She stopped in front of a door in the middle of a dark alley and fumbled in her bag, as if she were looking for her keys, killing time. Three men arrived. Halimi was captured. It was a trap.
Continue reading at:
Ilan Halimi, a 10-year Yahrzeit and tragic legacy | World
