Letter from John Webb

Nelson Op-ed Was Courageous

I believe that Emile Zola would applaud not only Wriley Nelson’s op-ed piece, “J’accuse: Every American Has Palestinian Blood on Their Hands” that appeared in your October 3, 2024 issue, but also “The Freeman’s Journal” for having the courage to print it.

On January 13, 1898, the French newspaper, “L’Aurore,” published, on its front page, Zola’s letter, “J’accuse,” in which he accused the French government of blatant anti-Semitism in the Dreyfus Affair and laid out all the incontrovertible evidence upon which he based his sweeping accusation.

That letter tore France apart, politically and socially, because it revealed information that cast dark shadows on many prevailing opinions, beliefs, and resulting actions, and it brought into the light troubling events, facts, dates, and names that many preferred to overlook or deny altogether because they did not suit their particular perspectives. Zola, like others who dared to criticize what was happening, was quickly condemned, and he paid heavily for his courage by being found guilty of libel, forcing him to flee France in order to avoid a prison sentence. Even his cause of death remains suspect.