Dawn French

[Violetparis]

Anyone else appalled and shocked at Dawn French's social media video mocking the reaction to the terror attack in Israel on Oct 6th. What on earth was she thinking ? She comes across as horrible and lacking in any empathy. I feel sorry for the innocent people on both sides of this war, in Palestine and in Israel.

Agree. The way she phrased and presented her message in that bizarre video has nothing to do with the “but any criticism of Israel is viewed as antisemitic” trope.
She could have criticised Israel’s actions without mocking the victims of October 7th.

She may, she may not. Who knows. It's certainly very dodgy. Tracy Anne Oberman certainly isn't a friend.

Indeed. I find it offensive here too. People need to think about why it's happening.

Yes, I think it was the presentation as much as the message.

Whist I don't agree with her tone and choice of words, do you really want to go there? No massacre like WW2? Are you really going to dismiss all the atrocities committed since then?

She is mimicking the argument.

Israeli soldiers are going to prison for saying NO MORE they won't go back. Watch the video and listen to what's going on out there. There is humanity people can not justify ethnic cleansing.

Not sure what you mean by "unlike anything seen since WW2"? Obviously since WW2 we have had sadly many massacres such as Srebrenica and Rwanda to name just 2.

One where the victims are not Jewish people. 'Israeli' being the current loophole.

In WWII, the horrors went as far as they did because the unacceptable Judenhass (Jew-hate) was reframed by academics as the 'legitimate' standpoint of 'antisemitism.'

Now, the unacceptable 'antisemitism' has been reframed as the 'legitimate' standpoint of 'antizionism,' or opposing Israelis and the existence of Israel at the Jewish state. (Which would ensure the death of the majority of the world's Jewish population.)

Hence why we're seeing discrimination and 'protest' against Israeli public figures, and Jewish figures who support Israel, and things like the desecration of Jewish schools and cemeteries described as 'antizionist,' and a Jewish hospital patient waking up with hospital staff having covered his room in Free Palestine stickers, and 'From the River to the Sea' spray painted on public buildings.

Nobody's saying she shouldn't be allowed to express an opinion. Just that when you do, you may find that people disagree with you. Particularly, in this case, women of a certain age who have traditionally made up DF's fan base and provided her core income. She did a long tour last year and my guess is that most of the people who paid to see her were female and over 40.

This is all that's happening here. Women are saying they don't agree with what French has freely chosen to publish (presumably because she feels she has something important and influential to say) and will avoid her, and avoid giving her any money or attention, in future. If enough people do it her career may be damaged. No one made her do this. She could have put her point across in a way that didn't seek to minimise the atrocities perpetrated particularly against women on 7 October. She didn't.

I'm aware a lot of Jewish people are unhappy with the Israeli govt's actions

But her minimising of the massacre is a different thing and a valid reason not to renew her contract

To say that nothing justifies starving and killing of Gazan children while mocking the killing of Israeli children (amongst others) is not a great look.

Yeah, that's the point really. Double standards.

Her video was really shocking. She should apologise but she won’t she didn’t when Tracy Anne Oberman called her out “No Just No Tracy”. She was offensive and she minimised the atrocity that was committed on October 7th. Unbelievable.

I agree. Isn’t the point that no matter how you spin it, the indiscriminate killing and starvation, particularly of children, can never be seen as an acceptable response? Does anyone disagree with that?

I think this shows why celebs and in fact anyone who isn’t fully informed need to be extremely careful and thoughtful before wading in on this. (And some other topics, but this is one of the prickliest.) There are many analyses explaining and contextualising the whole series of events in a neutral way, but also so many arguments designed to claim one side is wholly in the right or wrong and attacking any reasonable point that doesn’t favour their side. Or as a PP says, even anyone who just laments the harm and suffering on both sides. There also seems to be a huge amount of misinformation and contradictory accounts about everything, such that talking as if you’re sure about every detail is a minefield.

I think it’s reasonable for Dawn French to object to Netanyahu’s policies and certain IDF behaviour that have already been internationally condemned - and likewise to object to the behaviour of Hamas if she wanted to. But to do it in a whiny mocking voice as if it’s so obvious that she’s 100% right and the object of her ire just needs to be given a good telling off by her is what makes it so cringe and offensive.

it’s one area where I absolutely do think it’s ok to be on the fence and be sorry for the suffering on both sides, but to also admit it’s complex and you might not have the expertise or background knowledge to fully take a side. You can deplore illegal and cruel violence whoever does it, even though some people won’t be happy with that.

l’m also not comfortable with how taking sides in this conflict. seems to be aligning (often bizarrely and inconsistently) with other values like being left or right wing, your views on genderism, racism, the environment or the general omnicause. If you’re falling into line to jump to 100% defend one side or the other just because it’s whatever your gang are saying, that suggests not thinking it through. That’s why we’re seeing things like “queers for Palestine” etc. but I think it can also happen the other way round.

Yup.

Good for Dawn.

you said it very well.

Wholeheartedly agree, well observed and well put

It is baffling that she should approach a viewpoint on this publicly. Because where is her authority? It's not helpful, does nothing to bring real action, and the only person her rant will directly affect is her - to her detriment. Look who we are talking about now! Her ego is eating itself.

She looks absolutely bonkers.

She's always been a repulsive little shit goblin (and I'm not referring to her appearance).

Nasty woman through and through. She's lucky she had Saunder's coattails to hang off.

@Bountychocolate I lived in Belfast during the Troubles and I do understand (all too bloody well) the hot mess of history, religion, poverty and irrational hatred that culminates in terrorist atrocities and state responses. I don't take a 'yes well x did this to y so that justifies y doing this horror to x' and I don't see others doing that, either.

Please don't assume that the people whose responses you don't like don't understand. Some of us do.

I don’t think that the world has been “ waiting for a chance to be open about their hatred of Israel”. A lot of people are extremely upset and angry with Israel for treating Palestinians not much better than they themselves were treated in the second war. Even now they are starving them to near death. I don’t have a Twitter account so haven’t seen what Dawn French said.

I do agree and I feel she’s saying that all atrocities are unjustified . However, The fact that so many find it offensive means she has communicated badly even if her real intentions have been misunderstood .
The delivery style is incredibly inappropriate considering the horrors of October 7 and those continuing today. She should take it down.

Totally agree