Rehabilitation of Alfred Dreyfus: Emmanuel Macron establishes a day of commemoration on July 12
Emmanuel Macron declared this Saturday, July 12, a national day of commemoration of the rehabilitation by the courts of Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer unjustly accused of treason at the end of the 19th century, calling for "always" to remain vigilant "against the old demons" of anti-Semitism.
"On July 12, 1906, the Court of Cassation restored to Alfred Dreyfus the most precious possessions of an honest man: his innocence, his freedom, his dignity, and his honor," wrote the head of state in a statement to the French people communicated by the Élysée. "From now on, every July 12, a commemoration ceremony for Dreyfus will be held, for the victory of justice and truth against hatred and anti-Semitism."
The first ceremony will take place in 2026, on the 120th anniversary of the Court of Cassation's recognition of the captain's innocence. "Thus, Alfred Dreyfus and those who fought through him for Liberty, Equality and Fraternity will continue to be the example that must inspire our conduct," the president emphasized.
The "Dreyfus Affair" tore French opinion apart for more than a decade amid anti-Semitism and political-military conspiracy. From 1894, the year of his arrest, to July 12, 1906, the date of the ruling that judicially ended the Affair, Alfred Dreyfus faced two trials, imprisonment, and a penal colony on Devil's Island in French Guiana.
"Unfortunately, the lineage of the heirs of the anti-Dreyfusards, anti-republicans and anti-Semites of the early and mid-20th century has never been extinguished," the head of state continued. "We know that we must always demonstrate vigilance and perseverance against these old anti-Semitic demons engendered by hatred. And today more than ever," he added.
Between January and May 2025, 504 anti-Semitic acts were recorded in France, according to the Ministry of the Interior, a decrease of 24% over one year but a doubling compared to the same period in 2013.
La Croıx
