Pierre Laval was the nr 2. french leader in the Vichy regime. He was executed after the war among others letting to deportee 76 000 jews. But on other hand 300 000 jews survived the war unharmed. All documents agree, that Pierre Laval protested against the deportations of french citizens and debated with the nazis in the so called "jewish question". Many french jews sees him as a heroe. The same problem is with an other fascist leader Francisco Franco who saved the life of 40000 jews, letting to enter them from France.

over their role and collaboration with the Nazi genocide.The countries that stood firm and refused to hand over their citizens,by and large saved them. Salute Bulgaria,Denmark & the Japanese military rulers in wartime Shanghai, contrary to their abominable,unspeakable,brutality in other parts of China and to others including POWs.

President Francois Hollande has shown that there are some righteous people in this blood thirsty world. For a Frenchman to admit to the horrible French deed, in cooperating with the Nazi Germans, to purposely send "Thousands of French men , women , and CHILDREN to Auschwitz death camp" President Francois Hollande shows his great courage, and willingness to do RIGHT. moshe

Pierre Laval began to change his tune about Jews when the tide started to swing in favour of the Allies. And if three-quarters of Jews in France survived, it was mostly because of the help they received from the non-Jewish population at large, not from Laval who once rounded up 10,000 Jews from a zone where there were no Germans and handed them over for deportation. Non-withstanding the Jewish question, Laval is responsible for the deaths of thousands of Resistance fighters killed by the ultra-collaborationist "Milice" fighting force over which he had responsability and which hunted down partisans on behalf of the Germans.

This has been demonstrated to be true along all the centuries,since the Jewish people s existence.

It's not thanks to Laval that those 300000 survived , but because the action of French citizens and institutions . Laval opposed the deportation of French Jews , but not of Jews with other nationalities who lived in France . Laval a heroe ? let me have great doubds about this .

The germans did'nt want to deport children under 16 years . Laval INSISTED to do it , and said "that no one of them should remain in France . He opposed the deportation of French Jews , but offered to deport 7000 non French ones from the southern region at their place . No French Jew will consider him as a heroe . Read articles about him in French if you understand .

"La vérité, c'est que la police française s'est chargée d'arrêter des milliers d'enfants et de familles. (...) La gendarmerie les a escortés jusqu'aux camps d'internement», The truth is that the French police arrested thousands of children and families .....The gendarmerie escorted them to the internement camps .

And for this I applaud him cause indeed Jews weren't the only victims in the Shoah Glad I voted for him

I read president Hollandes full speech and I applaud the French Republic for its ability to face its past. I only wish that my country, which I love, would show our community the same consideration only around ''herdenkingsdag''. There's no blame attached anymore, because there simply is no-one still alive to blame and I am not a victim, but I do believe the persecution of Dutch Jewry is as much part of Dutch history as the beheading of Van Oldebarnevelt and it should be rembered as such.

Not all the politicians have the "courage et lucidite" [ as F Hollande said about Chirac ] to acknowledge the responsability of their country in helping the nazis to execute the Shoa . Many dutch collaborators found refuge in germany , others were "punished" , very lightly , and some were executed . The Netherlands lived under worse conditions than Belgium or France . Had a true fascist nazi dutch leader who inspired many to act as the nazis wanted . Many flemish Belgians believed the nazi propaganda that they will receive more autonomy . A great part of them saw rapidly that it was only propaganda and turned in the other direction . A greater part of Belgian Jews were hiding , it was less dangerous as in Holland . But the Dutch people can be proud of the better under them . Those thousands who risked their life to hide Jews , and about the "februaristaking" , one of the rare such actions . It brought only more misery on the Dutch people

unhappy with Hollande s speach.

Two opposition partry members opposed his speech . One of his party regretted that he did'nt add that the french police acted on orders of the nazi collaborationist vichy regime . Those are not "THE French politicians ...." You do to others something you dislike when done to you .

sorry.

correcting me. Generalising is of course a mistake. A friend ,who heard that on tv in our ex country told me that.

on internet .