French President Francois Hollande, who ends a three-visit to Israel, visited on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the graves of Rabbi Yonatan Sandler, his children Aryeh and Gavriel, and Miram Monsenego, who were murdered on March 19, 2012 by a terrorist, Mohammed Merah, at the Ozar Hatorah Jewish dayschool in the southern French city of Toulouse.
The four victims were buried in Israel following the desire of their families.
The Prime Minister and the President were accompanied at the Givayt Shaul cemetery by members of the Sandler and Monsonego families, who recited the kaddish.
The visit came about a year after the Israeli and French leaders participated in a memorial ceremony in the Or Hatorah Toulouse school and met with Jewish community leaders.
During the meeting, 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."
"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,’’ he added.
In his address to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, on Tuesday, President Hollande assured Israeli lawmakers that France is fighting anti-Semitism in all its forms ‘with all its might’’ and vowed to ensure the security of all Jews living in France.
"I confirm in this house the French Republic's commitment to watch over, at all times, the security and safety of the Jews of France," he said.
Hollande’s statements came a few days after a EU body released a survey among Jews in 8 countries showing that their growing concern about anti-Semitism.
Almost a quarter of respondents said they avoid visiting places and wearing symbols that identify them as Jews for fear of anti-Semitism. This was particularly evident in Sweden, where 49 percent the respondents said they refrained from such actions.
In France, 40 percent of the Jews who responded said they avoided wearing kippah in public.
The survey by the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) of almost 6,000 Jewish people also showed 66% of those who responded considered anti-Semitism to be a problem.
Three out of four respondents, 76% thought the situation was getting worse and that anti-Semitism had increased over the past five years. They also expressed fears over online bause and hate speech.
The survey also found 29% of those surveyed had considered emigrating because of concerns about safety, with particularly high figures recorded in France (46%).