Friday, May 17, 2024, marked the inauguration of the Esplanade of Albert 1st Garden, named after the former Israeli President, Shimon Peres.
The City of Nice pays tribute to the former President of the State of Israel and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Shimon Peres, this Friday, May 17, 2024, by naming the esplanade located at Albert 1st Garden after him. After the passing of Shimon Peres in 2016, the City of Nice organized a ceremony to honor this man, a Nobel laureate for peace and justice. Following the inauguration of the Garden of Armenia on Thursday, May 16, the final inauguration took place with the presence of his daughter Tzvia Walden Peres.
In his honor, a plaque was unveiled this Friday afternoon by Christian Estrosi, the Israeli ambassador to France, Joshua Zarka, and Tzvia Walden Peres, the daughter of Shimon Peres and president of the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation. The City of Nice wanted to pay tribute to the former Israeli president, who fought his entire life for the legitimacy of his country and understanding with the Palestinian people.
A Remembrance of the Events of October 7
First, the ceremony began with a speech by Tzvia Walden Peres, who spoke about the great friendship her father had with the city of Nice and its mayor, Christian Estrosi.
“Dear Shimon Peres, we need you right now, for your conviction, your clarity, and your courage, to face the terrible ordeal we are experiencing today, an ordeal that began at dawn on October 7. How do we take up the mantle of Shimon Peres today? It means showing our unwavering support for Israel in these difficult times. It means being uncompromising against anti-Semitism. It means fighting against LFI, which aims for civil war and uses the glorification of terrorism as a method. It means defending our model of republican universalism, as it is the one that can save us from all these dangers, confusions, and identity assignments, be they Islamist or otherwise. That is what we are doing by giving this esplanade the beautiful name of Shimon Peres, where he will be in good company between Netanya Alley and Yitzhak Rabin Square,” Christian Estrosi, mayor of Nice, said right after.
Christian Estrosi Responds to Outrage Over the City’s Support for Israel
In response to the outrage a few months ago over the Israeli flag flying above the Nice city hall, Christian Estrosi stands firm in his decisions: “Naturally, the portraits of the 130 hostages are displayed throughout the day on all the city’s panels in Nice, which is a requirement for us. There is no question, at any moment, of putting an end to these requirements. To make them live among us here in this city. Just like the colors on the front of the city hall, the flag of Israel. I will not take down any flag, nor will I rename any street, alley, or esplanade. I will not apologize for supporting the legitimacy of the State of Israel and its imperative right to defend itself. I uphold and claim this stance.”
