Museum Condemns Antisemitic Attacks in France

WASHINGTON, DC – The Museum is horrified by the desecration of our long-time, close partner the Mémorial de la Shoah, France’s national Holocaust memorial and educational institution, which was targeted along with three synagogues and a Jewish-owned restaurant in vile antisemitic attacks. This is the second attack on the Mémorial in the past year. 

Sadly, these are not isolated incidents but are happening in a climate of emboldened antisemitism and incitement and are part of a sustained assault on France’s Jewish community. According to the French Ministry of the Interior in 2024, 65 percent of all attacks related to religion in France targeted Jews. In 2024, the Jewish Community Protection Service reported that more than 10 percent of antisemitic attacks on people were physically violent.

“France has taken many important steps to confront its complicity in the Holocaust and must continue to work aggressively to promote Holocaust memory and education and protect its Jewish community today,” said United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Director Sara J. Bloomfield. “We are gratified to learn from our colleagues at the Mémorial de la Shoah that demand for their work is increasing and visitation is up. We wish them ongoing success in their vitally important work.”

A nonpartisan federal, educational institution, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is America’s national memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, dedicated to ensuring the permanence of Holocaust memory, understanding, and relevance. Through the power of Holocaust history, the Museum challenges leaders and individuals worldwide to think critically about their role in society and to confront antisemitism and other forms of hate, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. For more information, visit ushmm.org.