A statue of Captain Dreyfus inaugurated in Tel Aviv

A statue of Captain Alfred Dreyfus, an unfortunate hero of the "Dreyfus affair" that divided France in the late 19th century, was inaugurated Tuesday in Tel Aviv, in the presence of two of his descendants.

The statue, offered by the City of Paris is a replica of the one made by Louis Mitelberg, said Tim and installed since 1994 place Pierre-Lafue, in the 6th arrondissement.

The inauguration took place in the presence of a hundred people including the Mayor of Tel Aviv Ron Huldaï and the Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo.

Charles Dreyfus, grandson of the captain, Yaël Perl Ruiz, his great-granddaughter and Martine le Blond-Zola, great granddaughter of Emile Zola, one of Dreyfus's best-known defenders, were present at this event. ceremony, organized as part of the cross season France-Israel 2018, a series of events between the two countries.

"The Dreyfus case is part of the history of France but is also part of that of the Jewish people so it was as important that it is here in Paris," said AFP Mr. Dreyfus, 91 , who said he was "very moved".

Yael Perl Ruiz, who started this project four years ago, confessed to having "noticed that this affair was little known to younger generations in Israel and it seemed important (…) to try to give it a true presence and to mark this presence in a lasting way ".

Alfred Dreyfus (1859-1935), a French officer of Alsatian Jewish descent, was the victim of a miscarriage of justice at the origin of a major political crisis at the beginning of the Third Republic, "the Dreyfus affair", which divided the French opinion in two enemy clans. Sentenced to degrading and deportation for life, he was later pardoned and reinstated after the discovery of a forgery that had played a major role in his arrest.

The bronze statue of sculptor Tim, commissioned by the French Ministry of Culture, was inaugurated in 1988 at the Jardin des Tuileries before being transferred to its current location in 1994.

She represents Alfred Dreyfus, in full foot, holding his saber broken after the humiliation ceremony of January 5, 1895.

The copy was installed in the center of Tel Aviv, near the oldest house in the city.