Tuesday, July 02, 2024

Antisemitism in France Then and Now

French Election, Summer 2024 

News of France this week is primarily the news of the election. If you have been following French current events, you will probably know what I’m about to say, but here is my summary of the situation. France has a multi-party political system, representing a spectrum of views from extreme right to extreme left. For several years, the centrist party of President Macron has dominated the government; however, his party was severely defeated in the election of representatives to the European Parliament last month, and he declared elections for a new French government. 

Sunday, June 30, the first round of voting was a major blow to Macron’s centrist coalition, which came in third behind the far right and the far left. In particular the far right National Rally party (the RN, formerly called the National Front) obtained the most votes, and has a good chance to win a majority in next Sunday’s second and final round of voting. As the Guardian says:

“A high turnout in Sunday’s first round saw RN comfortably win first place with 33.1% of the vote, almost two points up compared with three weeks ago. For context, this is the first time that the party founded by Jean-Marie Le Pen has broken through the 20% barrier in a legislative election.” (source)

This is concerning for many reasons; in this short summary I’m going to concentrate on the issues of antisemitism expressed by members of this party.

From French newspaper Libération: “Twelve million of our fellow citizens have voted for a far right party that is clearly racist and anti-Republican.” (source)

Despite pretense to the contrary, the “rebranded” party founded by self-proclaimed antisemite Jean-Marie LePen and currently run by his daughter Marine is a frightening specter in the French elections this week. A strong possibility of their winning a majority and thus taking over the government is very chilling.

After the first vote on June 30, the extreme right party in France is far ahead of the others.
This is the party of LePen, a dedicated antisemite, though they have stepped back the antisemite rhetoric.

During the electoral campaign in May, there were antisemitic statements from both far right and far left candidates, for example—

Racist and antisemitic rhetoric and conspiracy theories spread by National Rally candidates came under scrutiny during the campaign sprint — and amplified questions about whether the party’s rebranding was merely window dressing. Almost 1 in 5 of National Rally’s candidates for parliament have made “racist, antisemitic and homophobic remarks,” French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said in a televised debate Thursday.” (source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/06/30/france-elections-macron-le-pen-bardella/)

Further, antisemitic public actions in France (as in other European countries and in the US) has been ongoing since the Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing war last October:

“There were more than 360 antisemitic episodes in France in the first three months of this year, or an average of four a day, an increase of 300 percent over the same period last year, the government said. In the most recent one that shocked the country, the three boys are said to have dragged the girl [age 12]  into an abandoned building where she was repeatedly raped and insulted.” (New York Times, June 20)

Here are few additional examples of antisemitism by National Rally candidates:

“Sophie Dumont, a National Rally candidate in northeastern France, was spotlighted by Libération for a post implying that Jewish financing was behind Reconquest, a rival far-right party led by Eric Zemmour, who is Jewish. Zemmour’s adviser had said that the ritual slaughter of animals to make kosher and halal meat should not be banned in France. “The small gesture that betrays the origin of the funds that fuel Reconquest,” Dumont wrote in a now deleted comment. 
 
“Agnès Pageard, a National Rally candidate in Paris, has advocated for abolishing a law that makes it illegal to question the Holocaust and another that bans ‘incitement to hatred’ against religious or racial groups. She responded to a social media post that alleged ‘collusion’ among prominent Jewish people in France by recommending ‘reread Coston and Ratier’ — two authors known for their antisemitic conspiracy theories.” (source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/06/28/france-far-right-antisemitism-racism-le-pen/)


On the left, there are also a number of candidates who have made antisemitic statements, such as this example about a candidate of the party “La France Insoumise” —

“At least one member of La France Insoumise has made intolerable remarks. Reda Belkadi, a candidate in the Loir-et-Cher department south of Paris, published anti-Semitic messages in 2018 on social media. He had used the anti-Semitic slur ‘youpin.’” (Le Monde, June 29, 2024)


Looking Back: Paris Under the Nazi Regime

Les Parisiennes by Anna Sebba (published 2016)

As I read this book about life in Paris under the Nazis, I constantly thought about the current French election and its all-too-painful reminders of this part of the past. I read this observation about the current party, the National Rally:

“There was a reason a political barrier was long erected against the National Rally, with its quasi fascist history (now disavowed) and its enduring belief that immigrants dilute the essence of the French nation. The party provokes extreme reactions and troubled memories of the collaborationist wartime Vichy government.” (source
 
In Les Parisiennes, Anna Sebba depicts the lives of many women who lived through the Nazi occupation of Paris. Most of the author’s subjects had little or no contact with the Jewish residents of Paris, and little or no responsibility for the persecution and deportation of Jews to the Concentration Camps — but there are many stories of the fate of Jewish women, including, for example, the famous writer Irene Nemirovsky. I’m not going to review this book, but only use it to remind us of the past history that haunts many Parisians (and of course others) even today as antisemitism seems to return, along with attacks on many modern immigrant communities and naturalized French citiens.

For the Jews of Paris in 1942, the main event was the arrest of almost the entire Jewish population, which was done by French, not German, authorities. Here is Anna Sebba’s summary (in case you are not familiar with the history:

“On 16 and 17 July, the Vichy government, aiming to satisfy German demands to reduce the Jewish population, arrested some 13,152 Jews, including more than 4,000 children, mostly from Paris, in an operation which they were calling ‘Spring Wind’. René Bousquet, Secretary General of the French National Police, knew that using French police in the round-ups would be ‘embarrassing’ but hoped that this would be mitigated if those arrested were only so-called foreign Jews. However, as the historian Serge Klarsfeld has revealed (making use of telegrams René Bousquet sent to the prefects of departments in the occupied zone), the police were ordered to deport not only foreign Jewish adults but children, whose deportation had not even been requested, nor planned for, by the Nazis. Pierre Laval maintained that including children in the round-ups was a ‘humanitarian’ measure to keep families together, a clearly fallacious argument since many of the parents had already been deported.’ (p. 159)

Before they could be deported on trains to the East, these victims were held at a sports stadium:

“Everyone was taken on French buses to the Vélodrome d’Hiver, a bicycle stadium in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, where most of the victims were temporarily confined for five days in extremely crowded conditions, almost without water as there was only one available tap, with little food and with inadequate sanitary facilities. They were then moved to Drancy, Pithiviers and Beaune-la-Rolande, internment camps managed by Vichy in collaboration with the Germans, before being sent on by train to Auschwitz for extermination. The round-up has been a source of enormous grief in France. It was not until 1995 that French President Jacques Chirac admitted French complicity as French policemen and civil servants had been used for the raid. He urged that 16 July be commemorated annually as a national day of remembrance. It was a ground-breaking moment in French history.” (p. 161) 

Sculpture commemorating the Jews of Paris deported in 1942 (Source: French Dept. of the Army)

The sculpture above shows the “Square de la Place-des-Martyrs-Juifs-du-Vélodrome-d’Hiver, where a sculpture by Walter Spitzer and Mario Azagury entitled ‘N’oublions jamais’ (Let us never forget) remembers the victims of the roundup of Jews on 16 and 17 July 1942, at 8, Boulevard de Grenelle, 15th arrondissement of Paris. © Département AERI

Paris in July

Along with many bloggers, I’m participating in “Paris in July,” a blog event hosted by Emma at the blog Words and Peace (link). My contribution today connects current events in Paris to the historic events of another July — July, 1942. 

Blog post © 2024 mae sander.
 

12 comments:

Linda said...

I did not know this bit of history. It is rather shocking. And the situation today is frightening.

I worry that humanity is in a cycle of self destruction. I wonder if the pressures of the pandemic and the deteriorating climate are causing feelings of discontent, combined with the very real problems of immigration. As a species, we do not have enough empathy to meet the situation that we are heading into.

Jenn Jilks said...

It was a shocking development. I was so surprised.

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz said...

I've never been good at understanding or predicting human behavior on an individual basis, but the movements worldwide to limit freedoms, to de-humanize groups of people, to spew hatred aimed at people based on lies and misrepresentation...all of these are inexplicable to me. And I feel helpless.

Jeanie said...

I remember reading Les Parisiennes. I thought I knew what had happened in France in WWII -- and until I read that, really had no idea.

My heart is breaking for our world, our country, for places I love.

Vagabonde said...

As a dual citizen I feel very sad for both my countries. France is turning to the extreme right just as the US and other nations. Marine LePen has softened her image to look closer to the people and more modern. She is a smooth talker but lies. Underneath is not only anti-Semitic but anti-Muslim, xenophobic and more. Her party is for exclusion, racism and hatred. She wants to stop studies on climate change and rewrite the story of colonialism as a positive. In front of a portrait of herself between Trump and Putin she declared that she thinks and believes exactly as they do, that their values and decisions are superb. She would be/will be a catastrophe for France.

On the US side, yesterday the Supreme Court about ended the rule of law in the country. Now the president is above the law and could be a dictator without repercussion. The irony is the US celebrating Independence Day on the 4th of July when their Supreme Court just gave unlimited, quasi-king, powers to their president and rendering We, the People, powerless. They can no longer claim freedom from tyranny when their president can execute a rival - no problem. This is the beginning of the end of the republic. Many in both countries are oblivious to these facts. France and the US have now joined other racist countries - there is nothing exceptional about either country anymore. This is a disaster for everyone. I see nothing to celebrate.

Divers and Sundry said...

I've been following French politics lately with some concern. Things here in the US are scary! and it's concerning to see the far right having such success around the world 😢

Lisca said...

No I didn't know this bit of French history either.
I've not been following French politics but the shift to the right is a bit worrying.(and not just in France)
Happy T-Day,
Lisca

Nil @ The Little House by the Lake said...

It seems like everywhere extremists are gaining power.

My name is Erika. said...

Aren't people suppose to learn from the past? The world is quite the scary place right now. I'd heard that the far conservative right was gaining strength in France. I wonder where else? hugs-Erika

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

Mae,
You provided amazing research on the history of antisemitism in France. My husband's family immigrated to France from Egypt in 1966 and found it too antisemitic to make it their home because of slogans in the subways degrading Jews and signs on apartment rentals that said: No Jews welcome !! Unfortunately, it is frightening the rise in antisemitism worldwide without any consequences for anti-Jewish hatred . The “Square de la Place-des-Martyrs-Juifs-du-Vélodrome-d’Hiver ( Let us Never Forget) doesn't seem to matter since antiseptic acts are tolerated against Jews right now. Scary. thanks for this in-depth insight into the history of antisemitism in France and the current elections.

Emma at Words And Peace / France Book Tours said...

Thanks so much for your excellent post.
I just added another link to it on our main page 9under essays, and under book review).
Alas, whatever the government, antisemitism has always been rampant in France.
There are for instance Jewish cemeteries desecrated all the time, of course this doesn't make the US news.
One of those days when it doesn't feel good to be French...

David M. Gascoigne, said...

Thank goodness that in the UK at least there is a clear rebuttal of the far right and the new Prime Minister has declared that he will not be working on Friday nights so that he can enjoy the seder with his Jewish wife and children. I despair at the current surge in antisemitism everywhere, with old tropes being revived. We never seem to be able to get over this.