French President Emmanuel Macron claimed that the "demons of antisemitism" remain in France during a ceremony honoring Capt. Alfred Dreyfus on Sunday.
“We know that the old demons of antisemitism have never completely disappeared from our country,″ the French president said, before calling for increased vigilance in protecting people who are targeted "because of who they are."
Macron was joined by Dreyfus' 99-year-old grandson, Charles, in erecting a statue to honor the Jewish captain. Dreyfus was wrongfully convicted of treason for trading secrets to the German military in 1894, and his case is still used as a benchmark for the rampant anti-Jewish bias in the country.
“I must sadly admit that I would not have imagined, at my age, seeing antisemitism resurface with such virulence in our country,″ Charles Dreyfus said at the event.
The statue of Dreyfus, in uniform and wielding a sword, was inaugurated outside of France's highest court, where Dreyfus was absolved before becoming a French military officer in World War I.
Antisemitism in France has become a deeper issue since Oct. 7
The ceremony took place one day after a military-grade assault rifle was found in a vehicle parked outside of a synagogue in Sarcelles, north of Paris. Over 300 people were evacuated, though nobody was injured.
Home to the largest Jewish population in Europe, France has long faced widespread antisemitism, though incidents saw a major uptick after the October 7 Massacre.
More than 65% of religiously motivated attacks in the country were targeting Jewish people in 2024, with an average of 130 antisemitic incidents per month. A French Jewish protection organization recorded an almost-300% increase in attacks since 2022.
Macron himself has been accused of exacerbating antisemitism in France by officially recognizing Palestine in 2025. At the time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office called the decree a "huge prize for terrorism."
However, a few months after the exchange between the two leaders, Macron declared July 12 as a national day of memorial for Dreyfus. This year marks 120 years since he was cleared of all charges.