In June, French lawmakers approved a symbolic posthumous promotion of Dreyfus to brigadier general, an honor reflecting both his personal sacrifice and the ongoing relevance of his case to the fight against antisemitism.
By Shula Rosen
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that July 12 will become an official day to honor Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a French Jewish army officer wrongly convicted of treason in 1894 in a notorious case of state-backed antisemitism. The annual tribute will begin in 2026, marking 120 years since France’s highest appeals court exonerated Dreyfus.
“From now on, there will be a commemoration ceremony every July 12 for Dreyfus, for the victory of justice and the truth against hatred and antisemitism,” Macron declared in a statement from his office. He stressed the importance of confronting “the ancient specter” of antisemitism, especially as hate crimes against Jews are once again on the rise in France.
The Dreyfus Affair shocked the world at the end of the 19th century. Dreyfus, a Jewish captain from Alsace, was accused of passing military secrets to Germany. The evidence hinged on handwriting found in a wastebasket, and despite its flimsiness, a public trial and a wave of antisemitic propaganda led to his conviction and exile to Devil’s Island.
The truth began to emerge thanks to Lieutenant Colonel Georges Picquart, who discovered that another officer, Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy, had forged the document. When Picquart revealed this crucial information, he was punished rather than rewarded. Public opinion began to shift only after prominent French writer Emile Zola’s bold open letter “J’accuse” exposed the miscarriage of justice.
After years of trials, pardons and political struggle, Dreyfus was fully exonerated in 1906. He was reinstated in the army, later serving in World War I, and he died in 1935.
Last month, French lawmakers approved a symbolic posthumous promotion of Dreyfus to brigadier general, an honor reflecting both his personal sacrifice and the ongoing relevance of his case in the fight against antisemitism.
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