France's Le Pen touches nerve with comment on wartime Jewish arrests

[EC]

Far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen has touched a raw nerve in France by denying the French state's responsibility for a mass arrest of Jews in Paris during World War Two.

Le Pen, a frontrunner in the election being held this month and next, triggered an outcry with her comments on one of the darkest episodes of French history when the country was occupied by the Nazis during the war.

"I think France isn't responsible for the Vel d'Hiv," Le Pen said in a French media interview on Sunday, referring to the July 16, 1942 German-ordered roundup by French police of 13,000 Jews in Paris.

Most of the Jews were crammed in appalling conditions into the Velodrome d'Hiver or Winter Velodrome cycling stadium, colloquially known as the Vel d'Hiv, before being deported to the Auschwitz extermination camp.

"I think that, in general, if there are people responsible, it is those who were in power at the time. It is not France," Le Pen said in comments that were condemned by other presidential candidates, a Jewish group and Israel's Foreign Ministry.

"We have taught our children that they had every reason to criticize France, to see only the darkest historical aspects perhaps. I want them to be proud of being French once more," she said in the interview with media organizations Le Figaro, RTL and LCI.

More: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-election-le-pen-idUSKBN17C0V8

Oh, well done, le Pen! Looking good in the polls so you take a flying piss directly on the third rail of French pride. 

[don-o]

I read the article...

Le Pen issued a statement late on Sunday saying she considered that the French state was in exile in London during the occupation and that her stance "in no way exonerates the effective and personal responsibility of the French people who took part in the horrible Vel d'Hiv roundup and in all the atrocities committed during this period."

Rather casts a different light upon it, n'est-ce pas?

[EC]

For us, yes. For Parisiens - not so much. They've got quite a deep shame over the whole Vichy goverment and it's actions (less now, but it's still present.)

[Maj. Bill Martin]

I read the article...

Le Pen issued a statement late on Sunday saying she considered that the French state was in exile in London during the occupation and that her stance "in no way exonerates the effective and personal responsibility of the French people who took part in the horrible Vel d'Hiv roundup and in all the atrocities committed during this period."

Rather casts a different light upon it, n'est-ce pas?

Well, not really.  Having to issue a clarification is never good in politics.  Doesn't mean she was wrong -- but it does mean that it was dumb to say what she said.

[don-o]

Well, not really.  Having to issue a clarification is never good in politics.  Doesn't mean she was  wrong -- but it does mean that it was dumb to say what she said.

Well, I know next to nothing about the nuances of French political culture. But I do know something about a relentless program of demonization. You see, I identify as a Southern White Male.

@LonestarDream

[LonestarDream]

Well, I know next to nothing about the nuances of French political culture. But I do know something about a relentless program of demonization. You see, I identify as a Southern White Male.

@LonestarDream

Le Pen and Wilders are considered nuttier than Trump if you can believe that, by the 'anointed '  BBC / NYT /NPR crowd.  Le Pen is #1 in the polls right now, with the fourth place communist on 18%.

That means Le Pen could win it all in the second round if the communist beats the Macron the 'centrist' in the first round of voting.  Macron is about a centrist as Hillary btw.

@don-o , the left is always going after conservatives with the 'non-inclusive' trope.

[r9etb]

Well, not really.  Having to issue a clarification is never good in politics.  Doesn't mean she was wrong -- but it does mean that it was dumb to say what she said.

Except that it's pretty easy to argue that she was wrong, too.  She very conveniently draws the line at events in 1942.  But during 1940-41, the Vichy government had its own anti-Jewish policies, their own round-ups of Jews, and their very own camps to put them in.  Hard to put that down to the actions of "individuals."

Haters gonna hate, nazis gonna naz.

[Frank Cannon]

MFGA?