Seven long-serving reserve judges in the military court system in Judea and Samaria were elevated last week to the rank of lieutenant colonel during a formal ceremony led by the President of the Military Court of Appeals, Maj. Gen. Orly Markman.

One of those promoted was Lt. Col. (res.) Uriel Dreyfus, who traces his lineage to Alfred Dreyfus, the Jewish French army officer whose wrongful conviction for treason became one of the most infamous antisemitic episodes in European history.

The Dreyfus Affair began in 1894, when Alfred Dreyfus, an artillery officer in the French army, was accused of leaking military secrets to Germany. Although the case lacked credible evidence, he was convicted in a widely publicized trial fueled by antisemitism. In a degrading ceremony in Paris, his rank was stripped and his sword shattered. He was then sent to Devil’s Island, a remote penal colony off the coast of French Guiana. Years later, evidence surfaced proving his innocence, and after prolonged legal and public battles, he was cleared of all charges and reinstated.

Speaking at the ceremony, Lt. Col. (res.) Uriel Dreyfus reflected on the personal and national significance of the moment. “I stand here today with the weight of two histories meeting in a single moment. One is my family history-the name ‘Dreyfus,’ which for generations symbolized injustice, antisemitism, and the attempt to break the spirit of a Jewish officer. The second is the history we have written and continue to write since October 7.”

He continued, “More than 130 years ago, in a square in Paris, the ranks were torn from the uniform of Captain Alfred Dreyfus. In a humiliating ceremony before crowds, his sword was broken. He was accused of treason he did not commit, solely because he was Jewish. He was sent to Devil’s Island, a place where hope was meant to die. But he did not break. He continued to cry out his innocence.”

“When I entered the IDF induction center as a young soldier, I carried this memory with me,” he said. “I understood that every rank I would receive, every step I would take in the army, would represent a form of historical correction. Today, as I receive the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, I feel that the ranks torn away in disgrace are now being sewn back with pride onto the olive uniforms of the Israel Defense Forces, within a system entrusted with administering justice in the sovereign Jewish state.”

Dreyfus drew a connection between the past and present, stating: “Alfred Dreyfus stood alone against a well-oiled system of lies. Today, the State of Israel stands on multiple fronts, facing threats of missiles, terrorism, and falsehoods in the international arena. The ranks we, the judges, receive today are the answer and the proof that we no longer stand alone. We are not defenseless.”

He also reflected on the toll of recent years. “The past years have been among the most difficult of our lives. We have lost friends, subordinates, and commanders. Within this pain, we must remember the determination of those who came before us. We will endure and prevail because we have no other country and no other army.”

Highlighting the importance of the military judiciary, he said: “Our role in the court system is often invisible to the public eye, yet it forms the backbone of Israeli democracy. My colleagues and I protect a place where words are stronger than bullets, and where truth is the highest authority. This is our professional duty and our moral mission.”

{Matzav.com}