Being the most notorious Jew-killer of one's time must earn automatic hero status in France.
Please! Sometimes the anti-French sentiment goes over the top here! During WWII, many French people risked their lives hiding Jewish children. I met a man a few years ago who was one such child. There are French movies about some of these acts of compassion and bravery. Despite their current inexplicable reaction towards taking needed action in Iraq, there are still plenty of good decent people in France.