Latest news with #DreyfusAffair
National Post
a day ago
- General
- National Post
Iddo Moed: False narratives about Israel have violent consequences
I am the ambassador of a country that was built by unexpected leaders. Article content Article content The founders of the State of Israel were not aristocrats or members of a wealthy elite. They were refugees and immigrants — men and women who arrived with little more than determination and hope. They fled violence, persecution, and antisemitism from every corner of the world: pogroms in Europe and Asia, attacks by mobs and ultimately expulsion from Arab lands, and the unthinkable horrors of the Holocaust. Article content Article content While Jews have had a continuous presence in the Holy Land for millennia, modern Israel was forged in the crucible of exile and survival. Today, Israel is a thriving liberal democracy with a diverse and multicultural society, a dynamic economy, and a strong defence force. Article content Article content We are proud of these achievements. But we have never forgotten an important lesson from Jewish history: false narratives, when left unchallenged, have violent consequences. Article content One need not look far to understand why this lesson is so deeply ingrained in our psyche. Theodor Herzl, the father of modern political Zionism, was moved by what he witnessed during the infamous Dreyfus Affair in late 19th-century France. A Jewish army officer, Captain Alfred Dreyfus, was falsely accused and convicted of treason. The campaign against him was led by the virulently antisemitic press — particularly La Libre Parole, which pushed a dangerous narrative: that Jews were inherently disloyal. Article content Given our history, we are highly attuned to the moments these falsehoods begin to surface. That's why, when I woke up Sunday morning to headlines from nearly every major Canadian media outlet — except National Post — about an alleged incident at a Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid hub in Rafah, I was immediately concerned. Article content This war has shown us, time and again, how Hamas manipulates facts on the ground, creating stories of atrocities that either didn't happen or happened in a very different way. The media often amplifies these claims uncritically, and by the time the truth emerges, the damage is done. Article content The most egregious example came just weeks after the October 7 massacre. The Hamas-run Palestinian Health Ministry claimed an Israeli airstrike had killed hundreds at Al-Ahli Hospital. Israel immediately launched an investigation — but the media didn't wait. The story exploded across front pages and screens around the world. Article content By the time the investigation revealed that the explosion was caused by a Palestinian rocket, which was confirmed by the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command, millions were misled. Worse, some politicians — including Canada's own foreign affairs minister at the time — rushed to condemn Israel before the facts were known.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Righting history's wrong: Will France posthumously promote Alfred Dreyfus 90 years after his death?
France's National Assembly Defense Committee has unanimously approved a bill to posthumously promote Captain Alfred Dreyfus to the rank of brigadier general, marking a historic correction of the antisemitic injustice he endured. The bill comes 90 years after Dreyfus' death and has been described as 'an important step in the history of Alfred Dreyfus and in the history of the Republic,' according to Charles Sitzenstuhl, the Ensemble pour la république (EPR) MP for Bas-Rhin and the rapporteur for the bill. 'The anti-Semitism that struck Alfred Dreyfus is not a thing of the past. Today's acts of hatred are a reminder that this fight is still relevant today,' pointed out former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who tabled the bill on 7 May. The text also states that 'five years of deportation and humiliation irreparably hampered (Dreyfus') military career' and it is 'indisputable that without this injustice, Alfred Dreyfus would naturally have risen to the highest ranks.' In a statement, the French Embassy in Israel said: 'The French nation is committed to justice and does not forget. It is posthumously promoting Alfred Dreyfus to brigadier general — to correct a wrong, to honor a soldier, and to affirm that antisemitism, past or present, has no place in the Republic.' For those in need of a refresher on the Dreyfus Affair, French intelligence intercepted a memo from a French officer to a German embassy official in Paris in 1894. Suspicion fell on Dreyfus, who was tried by a military tribunal and convicted of treason. In January 1895, was stripped of his rank in a public degradation ceremony and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island in French Guiana. The trial was fueled by widespread antisemitism within the military and French society. A public campaign to clear Dreyfus' name soon emerged, led by journalist Bernard Lazare. In 1896, new intelligence chief Lt. Col. Georges Picquart discovered that the real traitor was another officer, Maj. Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy. Respected French novelist Émile Zola published his famous open letter, 'J'accuse' ('I Accuse'), in January 1898, denouncing the military's role in the miscarriage of justice. In 1906, France's highest court overturned the conviction, fully exonerating Dreyfus. He was reinstated in the army as a major and went on to serve during World War I. Dreyfus died on 12 July 1935 at the age of 76, and the Dreyfus Affair became synonymous with the wrongful conviction of the innocent. It also remains one of France's - and history's - most enduring examples of institutional antisemitism. The bill will be further debated on 2 June and if it is adopted, 'it does not close the door on the strong symbol that would be the pantheonisation of Dreyfus,' according to historian Philippe Oriol, a specialist in the Dreyfus Affair – who refers to the Panthéon, the national necropolis reserved for the worship of illustrious men. 'The idea is not to include a moment in history' in the Pantheon, but 'to include a man', added Oriol. 'I can only regret that this promotion did not take place during his lifetime,' said Charles Dreyfus, grandson of Alfred Dreyfus. He told France Inter: 'Most of the tributes paid to him were posthumous,' and how this gesture of reparation initiated by the parliamentarians remains a powerful symbol. 'It is important to show what antisemitism can do.'
Euronews
7 days ago
- Politics
- Euronews
Sins of antisemitism: Will France posthumously promote Alfred Dreyfus?
France's National Assembly Defense Committee has unanimously approved a bill to posthumously promote Captain Alfred Dreyfus to the rank of brigadier general, marking a historic correction of the antisemitic injustice he endured. The bill comes 90 years after Dreyfus' death and has been described as 'an important step in the history of Alfred Dreyfus and in the history of the Republic,' according to Charles Sitzenstuhl, the Ensemble pour la république (EPR) MP for Bas-Rhin and the rapporteur for the bill. 'The anti-Semitism that struck Alfred Dreyfus is not a thing of the past. Today's acts of hatred are a reminder that this fight is still relevant today,' pointed out former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who tabled the bill on 7 May. The text also states that 'five years of deportation and humiliation irreparably hampered (Dreyfus') military career' and it is 'indisputable that without this injustice, Alfred Dreyfus would naturally have risen to the highest ranks.' In a statement, the French Embassy in Israel said: 'The French nation is committed to justice and does not forget. It is posthumously promoting Alfred Dreyfus to brigadier general — to correct a wrong, to honor a soldier, and to affirm that antisemitism, past or present, has no place in the Republic.' For those in need of a refresher on the Dreyfus Affair, French intelligence intercepted a memo from a French officer to a German embassy official in Paris in 1894. Suspicion fell on Dreyfus, who was tried by a military tribunal and convicted of treason. In January 1895, was stripped of his rank in a public degradation ceremony and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island in French Guiana. The trial was fueled by widespread antisemitism within the military and French society. A public campaign to clear Dreyfus' name soon emerged, led by journalist Bernard Lazare. In 1896, new intelligence chief Lt. Col. Georges Picquart discovered that the real traitor was another officer, Maj. Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy. Respected French novelist Émile Zola published his famous open letter, 'J'accuse' ('I Accuse'), in January 1898, denouncing the military's role in the miscarriage of justice. In 1906, France's highest court overturned the conviction, fully exonerating Dreyfus. He was reinstated in the army as a major and went on to serve during World War I. Dreyfus died on 12 July 1935 at the age of 76, and the Dreyfus Affair became synonymous with the wrongful conviction of the innocent. It also remains one of France's - and history's - most enduring examples of institutional antisemitism. The bill will be further debated on 2 June and if it is adopted, 'it does not close the door on the strong symbol that would be the pantheonisation of Dreyfus,' according to historian Philippe Oriol, a specialist in the Dreyfus Affair – who refers to the Panthéon, the national necropolis reserved for the worship of illustrious men. 'The idea is not to include a moment in history' in the Pantheon, but 'to include a man', added Oriol. 'I can only regret that this promotion did not take place during his lifetime,' said Charles Dreyfus, grandson of Alfred Dreyfus. He told France Inter: 'Most of the tributes paid to him were posthumous,' and how this gesture of reparation initiated by the parliamentarians remains a powerful symbol. 'It is important to show what antisemitism can do.' Algerian director Mohammed Lakhdar-Hamina, whose 1975 drama Chronique des Années de Braise (Chronicles of the Years of Fire) won Cannes' Palme d'Or in 1975, has died aged 91. He was the oldest living recipient of the Palme d'Or and Chronicles of the Years of Fire remains Africa's only Palme d'Or to this day. Lakhdar-Hamina's family said the producer and director died at his home in the Algerian capital of Algers on 23 May. Coincidently, the Cannes Film Festival screened Chronicles of the Years of Fire in its Cannes Classics program that day, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the film's Palme d'Or. Set between 1939 and 1954, the movie retells the Algerian War of Independence through the eyes of a peasant farmer, depicting the harshness of French colonial rule. Lakhdar-Hamina competed for the Palme d'Or four times, with The Winds of the Aures, which won the best first film prize in 1967, as well as Sandstorm (1982) and Last Image (1986). After a 30-year break, Lakhdar-Hamina directed Twilight of Shadows, which was Algeria's submission to the Best Foreign Language Film category of the 88th Academy Awards in 2016. Born on 26 February 1934 in M'Sila in the Aurès region of north-east Algeria, Hamina studied in the southern French town of Antibes. During the Algerian war, his father was tortured and killed by the French army. He was called up to the French army in 1958 but deserted to join the Algerian resistance in Tunis, where he did an internship with Tunisian news. He ran Algeria's news service, the l'Office des Actualités Algériennes (OAA) from shortly after the revolution to 1974. He was also head of the Algerian National Office for Commerce and the Film Industry between 1981 and 1984. French distributor Les Acacias Distribution will theatrically re-release Chronicles of the Years of Fire in cinemas in France on 6 August.
Local France
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Local France
Inside France: Macron's swansong, Sarkozy's tag and a booze ban for Smurfs
Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It's published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article. Macron marathon I spent Tuesday night channel hopping between the semi final of the Eurovision Song Contest and Emmanuel Macron's three-hour TV interview - a slight change of pace but both had an overly complicated format and at least one man in a muscle vest (in Paris that was the fitness influencer Tibo InShape, not Macron). One other thing that they have in common is that both are unlikely to have any significant impact on French domestic politics. Macron's performance was, as ever, impressive - eloquent, assured and thoroughly across the details of a wide range of policies. But will it save him from two years as a lame duck president? It seems unlikely, with the parliament as deadlocked as ever. Our politics expert John Lichfield described it as "a premature political obituary". Talking France We discuss Macron's attempted reset, and the political landscape between now and 2027, in the latest episode of the Talking France podcast. We also talked about 'urban rodeos' and French bureaucracy, as well as a move by MPs to promote to late Captain Alfred Dreyfus, and why the Dreyfus Affair is still relevant to modern politics, despite happening 130 years ago. I find this topic fascinating and although I was only able to give a very brief summary of it on the podcast, I have included some suggestions for books, films and podcasts about the case if anyone is inspired to find out more. Listen here or on the link below. Tag team In December 2024 France's ex president Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced - after more than a decade of trials and appeals - to wear an electronic tag for one year. The tag was fitted in February (after Sarko enjoyed a nice holiday somewhere sunny) and then on Thursday - May 15th - it was removed . It turns out that the 70-year-old was entitled to apply for an early parole on the grounds of his age, which was approved. Advertisement As you can imagine, this sparked a certain anger at the apparent leniency of his punishment (although he has other ongoing legal matters which could result in stiffer penalties). Why is it so hard to send French politicians to jail? One commentator jokingly suggested donating it to a museum of political scandals at his Les Républicains party headquarters, along with François Fillon's suit and Jean-François Copé's pain au chocolat (you may remember that Fillon accepted 'gifts' of suits worth €48,000 while Copé attracted mockery by estimating the cost of a pain au chocolat at "10 or 15 centimes"). 🔴 URGENT : le bracelet électronique de Nicolas Sarkozy sera installé dans une vitrine à l'entrée du siège du parti LR, en compagnie des plus grandes reliques qui ont fait l'histoire du parti (les costumes de François Fillon, le pain au chocolat de Jean-François Copé, etc.). [image or embed] — Olivier Varlan ( @ ) 15 May 2025 at 12:01 Smurfew My favourite story of the week is undoubtedly this one - French mayor bans sale of alcohol to Smurfs . The thing about this municipal decree (which just to be clear is a joke, it's timed for Saturday when the Brittany town attempts to break the world record for the largest gathering of people dressed as Smurfs) is that it's far from the first bizarre mayoral decree. Recent examples include the mayors who ordered the rain to stop , and the mayor who banned mosquitoes . Advertisement Which just goes to show that not only do some French mayors have a good sense of humour, they also have a surprising degree of power . They can and frequently do enact local bylaws that are both real and far-reaching. Astérix And if you are looking for more French humour, I really recommend the new Astérix & Obélix series which is delightful - sweet, funny and with a great soundtrack and lots of topical French jokes (like the clan using ' le quarante-neuf trois ' to replace their chief with Obélix in order to win a fight). Considering all the Gauls have names ending in 'ix', I thought the writers showed heroic restraint by waiting until the end to introduce a character named after the streaming service the show appears on. Inside France is our weekly look at some of the news, talking points and gossip in France that you might not have heard about. It's published each Saturday and members can receive it directly to their inbox, by going to their newsletter preferences or adding their email to the sign-up box in this article.
Irish Times
17-05-2025
- Irish Times
Dillon Rediscovered by Kevin Rafter: Daring journalist with a penchant for disguises brought back to life in new account
Dillon Rediscovered: The Newspaper man who befriended Kings, Presidents and Oil Tycoons Author : Kevin Rafter ISBN-13 : 978-1739608675 Publisher : Martello Publishing Guideline Price : €20 Émile Zola famously shone a light on the murky Dreyfus Affair with his open newspaper letter entitled J'accuse…! . But another Emile – Irish, despite the name – was the star of the foreign press that flocked to Paris to cover the sensational 1899 retrial of Alfred Dreyfus wherein, despite mounting evidence of a conspiracy, the French army officer's guilt on spying charges was restated. Writing for the Daily Telegraph, Dublin -born Emile Joseph Dillion (1854–1933) conveyed the court drama in the style that made him the best-known and best-paid journalist of his time. He wrote: 'Colonel Jouaust's voice was unsteady, and seemed to have a funeral ring in it as he held up three sheets of paper in his left hand and read out the judgment. Was his voice loud enough for Captain Dreyfus in his little room away off the hall to hear? Few people knew what he was reading. An unerring instinct kept them on the watch for the essential words. Suddenly we heard, 'Yes; the accused man is guilty', and a shudder convulsed the frames of the public.' READ MORE Described both as 'the greatest and most accomplished journalist of our time, if not of all time' (by a Daily Telegraph proprietor) and as 'a most unreliable scoundrel' (by a British diplomat), Dublin-born Dillon equipped himself for a life as foreign correspondent via a mastery of many languages. But he was also nearly killed once for dressing as himself By one account, probably exaggerated, he spoke 26. But he was certainly a polyglot, which opened doors to him everywhere. His wide-ranging wardrobe helped too. A Vanity Fair profile in 1918 said of him: 'Few journalists are so internationally recognised…' This was ironic, because central to his modus operandi was a genius for disguise. [ Audition by Katie Kitamura: This hotly anticipated novel is psychologically chilling Opens in new window ] [ The Dublin-born journalist who became a foreign correspondent in Imperial Russia Opens in new window ] Going undercover to report Turkish massacres of Armenian Christians in 1895, he dressed by turns as an Armenian woman, a Russian army officer and a Kurdish chief. Elsewhere he posed as a Greek monk. But he was also nearly killed once for dressing as himself. Emerging from a Dominican monastery during the 1910 Portuguese revolution, he attracted the suspicions of an anti-clerical crowd. 'Shoot him. He's a priest in disguise!' they shouted. Dillon pacified them with the cry: 'Long live the Republic!' A journalistic superstar – he had a lavish expense account and sometimes two secretaries to accompany his travels – Dillon somehow evaded biographers in his lifetime and for almost a century afterwards. Kevin Rafter's assiduous account breaks new ground and brings a forgotten but fascinating figure back to life.
