French President Francois Hollande, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, along with his wife Sara, on Thursday afternoon, at the Ohr HaTorah School in Toulouse, met with the families of the victims of the March 19 terrorist attack that was perpetrated at the school: Eva Sandler, who lost her husband Rav Yonatan and her children Gabriel and Aryeh; Yaffa and Yaakov Monsonego, who lost their daughter Miriam; Eva Sandler’s father Chaim Allul; and Yonatan Sandler’s father Samuel Sandler. The meeting was also attended by pupils and teachers, who spoke with the Prime Minster and the French President.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Netanyahu said: “The fact that the French President and the Prime Minister of Israel are here together says everything about our partnership in the war against terrorism, against racism and against violence.”

After the meeting, the school held a memorial ceremony for the victims which was also attended by Jewish Agency Chairman Natan Sharansky, French Chief Rabbi Gilles Bernheim and hundreds of members of the French Jewish community.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said at the ceremony:

“…History teaches us that the plague of anti-Semitism may start with attacks on Jews, but quickly spreads further and attacks others.

Those who have no respect for the human rights of Jews will brutally trample on the human rights of others.

And if you fail to extinguish the flame of anti-Semitism when it starts, it becomes a great fire that consumes everything that stands in its way…

…I came here from Jerusalem, the eternal capital of the people of Israel, to say with you – in the face of all of Israel’s haters – three clear words: Am Yisrael Chai! [The People of Israel Live!]

Let us say it together out loud, so that our voices will be heard everywhere that terror has struck our people: In Toulouse, Burgas, Mumbai, Buenos Aires, in Maalot, at the Dolphinarium in Tel Aviv and at the Fogel family home in Itamar.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)