Alice Rufo and other officials gathered in Paris to commemorate the 84th anniversary of the 1942 Vel d’Hiv Jewish roundup.
Alice Rufo, a deputy defense minister, joined officials in Paris on Sunday to honor the victims of the 1942 Vel d’Hiv roundup, the largest mass arrest of Jews in France during World War II. During the two-day event in July 1942, French police mobilized over 4,500 officers to deport 13,152 people to Nazi death camps. The ceremony served as a tribute to the "Righteous Among the Nations," highlighting those who saved others during the raids. Alice Rufo noted that the Republic remains committed to honoring these memories in the face of rising modern antisemitism. The event also addressed recent vandalism of a commemorative plaque in Paris. The roundup occurred under the Vichy government, which collaborated with Nazi Germany. While it took 50 years for the French leadership to officially acknowledge the state's role in the Holocaust, the annual commemoration ensures the victims' legacy remains a central part of French history.