# Chirac acknowledges French state responsibility for Vel d'Hiv roundup

Date: 1995

On 16 July 1995 President [Jacques Chirac](/people/jacques-chirac) became the first French president to acknowledge the French state's responsibility for the 1942 Vel d'Hiv roundup, in which French police arrested more than 13,000 Jews for deportation. French Jewish leaders welcomed the speech, which recognised the country's role in the roundup and deportation of Jews during the occupation.

## People

- Jacques Chirac: https://factrail.ai/people/jacques-chirac

## Sources

- https://www.thejc.com/news/world/july-16-1995-chirac-admits-frances-role-in-nazi-crimes-onm0x7bx
- https://www.jta.org/archive/chirac-hailed-for-recognizing-french-states-role-in-holocaust
- https://www.elysee.fr/jacques-chirac/1995/07/16/allocution-de-m-jacques-chirac-president-de-la-republique-sur-la-responsabilite-de-letat-francais-dans-la-deportation-des-juifs-durant-la-deuxieme-guerre-mondiale-et-sur-les-valeurs-de-liberte-de-justice-et-de-tolerance-qui-fondent-lidentite-franca

## Methodology

https://factrail.ai/methodology

Canonical: https://factrail.ai/facts/chirac-vel-dhiv-speech-1995-07-16