Macron Calls for Constant Vigilance Against Resurgent Antisemitism

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for unwavering vigilance against the resurgence of antisemitism, linking historical injustices to contemporary threats. Speaking at the first national commemoration of Alfred Dreyfus's exoneration, Macron emphasized that the "old demons of antisemitism have never completely disappeared from our country."

Macron urged municipalities across France to inscribe the names of "Justes", individuals who sheltered Jews during the Nazi era, on buildings where these acts of rescue took place. He framed this as a duty to remember and honor those who resisted Nazi barbarism and protected Jewish lives.

The president drew parallels between the Dreyfus Affair, a 19th-century case where a Jewish army captain was wrongly convicted of treason amid widespread antisemitism, and the current rise in anti-Jewish sentiment. "Dreyfusism is not a memory, it is a state of mind that refuses that a person's belonging to a religion, an origin, a community can become an alibi to deliver them to a blind justice and public opinion," he stated.

Charles Dreyfus, the 99-year-old grandson of Captain Dreyfus, echoed the president's concerns, expressing sadness over the renewed rise of antisemitism. A new statue of Captain Dreyfus now stands before the Court of Cassation, symbolizing the enduring relevance of his case and the fight for justice.