France held a commemorative ceremony on Sunday marking the Vel d’Hiv roundup, a significant event in the country’s World War II history. The roundup involved the mass arrest of Jewish citizens by French police during July 1942, resulting in the deportation of over 13,000 people to Nazi concentration and extermination camps.
During the operation, which took place over multiple days, French police forcibly separated families and detained thousands of individuals at the Winter Velodrome, a facility from which the roundup derives its name. According to historical records, more than 4,500 police officers participated in the operation, and approximately one-third of those deported were children. The event is regarded as the largest roundup of Jews conducted in France during the war.
The commemoration occurred against a backdrop of increased antisemitic incidents throughout France. Since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel and the subsequent military conflict in Gaza, the country has experienced a rise in antisemitic acts including threats, vandalism, and violence. France is home to Europe’s largest Jewish population.
A significant development related to the ceremony involved the vandalization of a plaque in Paris honoring a family who rescued a child during the roundup and were recognized as Righteous Among the Nations by Israel. Deputy Defense Minister Alice Rufo responded to the vandalism by stating that the plaque would be restored and reaffirmed the French state’s commitment to resisting antisemitism.
Historically, France’s acknowledgment of its wartime collaboration with Nazi Germany came decades after the war ended. The country’s leadership did not officially recognize the state’s involvement in the Holocaust until approximately 50 years after World War II concluded, when then-President Jacques Chirac issued an apology regarding the French authorities’ participation in the Vel d’Hiv raids.
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