France – Mayor Blocks Holocaust Survivor from Telling Students That Gendarmes Handed Her to Nazis

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    Parthenay, France – During the war, Ida Grinspan, now 79, was deported to the Polish death camp in 1944 but was one of the few survivors to make it back to France.

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    She wrote a letter about her wartime experiences to children at a school in Parthenay, western France.

    But when the town’s deputy mayor, Michel Birault, a former policeman, found out she was to tell the children it was “gendarmes” who arrested her aged 14, it was censored.

    Mayor Xavier Argenton then said she could only speak to the teenagers if she referred to the police simply as ‘men’.

    French media have now accused both men of trying to cover up France’s shameful collaboration with the Nazis during World War Two.

    During the war, French officials helped the SS round up tens of thousands of French Jews and take them to their deaths in the gas chambers.

    Mr Argenton reportedly told Ms Grinspan: “We do not want to stigmatise a profession who were simply obeying the orders of the legitimate authority in those troubled times.

    “This wording will do nothing to appease the resentments, and will sadly only bring them more to the fore.”

    Ms Grinspan agreed to the changes but said she never intended to offend anyone, rather “to simply give a true account of history.”

    Mr Argenton insisted he “never censured her or banned her speech.”

    “I said that it would be good to avoid stigmatising an entire profession, that we should avoid that word. I gave my opinion. I find it inappropriate to talk about censorship and I am astonished by the polemic this has caused,” he added.


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    17 Comments
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    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Shame on you mayor birault,for not letting a holocaust survivor say her whole wartime story,and kids have to know the truth & full history ,what’s this any different then those who deni it they are also embarrassed of there previews behavior, Yes you should be embarrassed what france did ww2 and not cover it up just apologize and let her speak

    here's an idea
    here's an idea
    13 years ago

    Let her say “*French * men” handed her over to the Nazies y”sh. Would that work better?

    Ihatethefrench
    Ihatethefrench
    13 years ago

    how very french of them

    Sluve
    Sluve
    13 years ago

    My grandfather was taken by the French gendarmes (police), yes the gendarmes could have looked the other way but most of them were happy to hand out a Jew.

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    wow, is anyone shocked? show of hands! anyone? anyone? NOBODY is suprised? gosh its not like the french would EVER do somthing like this!!!

    jdl
    jdl
    13 years ago

    in this case, the muslims would give the ordrers, the “…who were simply obeying the orders of the legitimate authority in those troubled times.”…and they will follow in this troubled times.

    HaNavon
    HaNavon
    13 years ago

    By saying that what happened was “legal and legitimate”, he’s really saying that if the Nazis would walk through the Arch De Triumph today he would hand her over this minute, and I’m sure he would have a nice smile on his face….after all, he’s a law abiding citizen who will do whatever the legitimate authorities tell him to do!
    We as Jews have to do whatever it takes to publicize this story.

    mayim
    mayim
    13 years ago

    Eisav soneh l’yakkov

    from here to there...
    from here to there...
    13 years ago

    French Antisemitism = dog bites man. Is it really news?

    Ich shaym zich oych nisht
    Ich shaym zich oych nisht
    13 years ago

    The French have always been the slimiest double crossing Jew haters of Europe. Unfortunately, all the Nordic states have now become like France in WW II. Today, Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway all have anti scheita laws and today Sweden anti Meilah laws. They really love us Jews (sarcastic!) Eisav soney ess Yaakov so true! so True!!!

    smarty
    smarty
    13 years ago

    Please don’t be upset with the mayor. He was simply stating what his troubled mind dictated!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    The French were and continue to be cowards. They refused to fight to protect their own country and, instead, let the Americans die to liberate it. They collaborated with the Nazis in deporting tens of thousands of Jews. Yet, they claim to be more civil than anyone. What a farce! Unfortunately, Jews visit and vacation there. I would not let the French have a dime of my money.

    vive la france
    vive la france
    13 years ago

    reminds me of a few ww II jokes
    1. how many frenchmen does it take to save paris?
    A. no 1 knows its never been done

    2. why are ther trees on the champs elysee?
    A. so the germans won’t get a sunburn.

    keep up the good work you cheese eating surrender monkeys.

    David
    David
    13 years ago

    “We do not want to stigmatise a profession who were simply obeying the orders of the legitimate authority in those troubled times.”

    I think the profession in question stigmatised itself by turning on the people it was to protect and serve at the behest of foreign invaders. I also think that anyone who describes nazi collaborators as “legitimate authority” should check his moral compass and see if the needle isn’t accidentally skewed a bit towards Nuremberg…

    judith
    judith
    13 years ago

    Just want to add here, that about 2/3 of France’s Jews were SAVED!
    how? with help from the FRENCH population and resistance, as well as Jewish rescue movements.
    Yes, the round up of Jews by the French Police was a disgrace, but not all of France is guilty!

    Anonymous
    Anonymous
    13 years ago

    Quote:Mr Argenton reportedly told Ms Grinspan: “We do not want to stigmatise a profession who were simply obeying the orders of the legitimate authority in those troubled times.
    How cute. Legitimate. Now the french actually believe mass murder is legitimate if its done with the proper authority. Oh I can’t wait until the real Authority reveals himself and his Mashiach bimhera beyamenu. Each day more of this perverted logic gets displayed by the nations. Every single ounce of their logic will be used in its full flavor against them.