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7 months ago
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Coronation Street star Dame Maureen Lipman has said left-wing actor's protests against Israel are 'close to fascism'.
It comes as Britain marks six since months since the start of the Israel-Gaza conflict, following the October 7 attack where 1,200 Israelis were killed.
Actress Dame Maureen Lipman has said the 'left and the right are interchangeable' when it comes to the hatred of the Jewish state.
In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, she said 'not a day goes by' when she does not think of the hostages that are still trapped in Gaza.
She also hit out at the acting community for jumping on 'the bandwagon' against Zionism.
Dame Maureen Lipman speaks at a Synagogue near Abbey Road, London, to show solidarity to the 100 hostages still held in Gaza
Lovelock Hostage Bridge unveiling at the JW3, Jewish community centre
Demonstrators outside Chatham House in central London, following a speech by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer on the situation in the Middle East
Last October, an open letter was signed by famous actors who condemned the Israeli military's actions in Gaza, including Steve Coogan, Maxine Peake, Tilda Swinton and Charles Dance.
The letter was signed by more than 2,000 actors, musicians and artists, and accuses the Government of 'not only tolerating war crimes but aiding and abetting them'.
It called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, but was criticised for failing to condemn Hamas' terror attacks.
The letter reads: 'Gaza is already a society of refugees and the children of refugees.
'Now, in their hundreds of thousands, bombarded from air, sea and land, Palestinians whose grandparents were forced out of their homes at the barrel of a gun are again being told to flee – or face collective punishment on an unimaginable scale.'
Dame Lipman went on to say that anti-Semitism was a light-sleeper and that it now was unfashionable to admire the Jewish state.
The letter was signed by actors, musicians and artists in the UK, including Steve Coogan (pictured) and Miriam Margolyes
Maxine Peake was among the list of famous names to sign the statement
Around 30,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of the conflict and an estimated 1.8 million Palestinians have been displaced according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
Just this week, seven aid workers were killed in air strike by the IDF, three of whom were UK ex-forces.
SBS operator John Chapman, 57, former sniper marksman James Kirby, 47, and former special forces operator, James Henderson, 33, were travelling out of Deir al-Balah in food aid trucks when they were struck by missiles.
THE LETTER IN FULL
We are witnessing a crime and a catastrophe. Israel has reduced much of Gaza to rubble, and cut off the supply of water, power, food and medicine to 2.3 million Palestinians. In the words of the UN's undersecretary for humanitarian affairs, 'the spectre of death' is hanging over the territory.
Gaza is already a society of refugees and the children of refugees. Now, in their hundreds of thousands, bombarded from air, sea and land, Palestinians whose grandparents were forced out of their homes at the barrel of a gun are again being told to flee – or face collective punishment on an unimaginable scale. Dispossessed of rights, described by Israel's minister of defence as 'human animals', they have become people to whom almost anything can be done.
Our governments are not only tolerating war crimes but aiding and abetting them. There will come a time when they are held to account for their complicity. But for now, while condemning every act of violence against civilians and every infringement of international law whoever perpetrates them, our obligation is to do all we can to bring an end to the unprecedented cruelty being inflicted on Gaza.
We support the global movement against the destruction of Gaza and the mass displacement of the Palestinian people. We demand that our governments end their military and political support for Israel's actions.
We call for an immediate ceasefire and the opening of Gaza's crossings to allow humanitarian aid to enter unhindered.
English (US)