In wanting Mumsnet to help Judi Dench and Joanna Lumley

[GiantBranch]

Last week, Israel banned 37 international aid organisations from operating in the strip, including Oxfam, Save the Children and Medicine Sans Frontieres (MSF). MSF delivers one in three of Gaza’s babies, and experts warn that immediate action must be taken to prevent a catastrophe.

It has prompted more than 100 leading members of the arts, including Dames Judi Dench, Imelda Staunton, Joanna Lumley, Sienna Miller, Suranne Jones and singer Paloma Faith, to sign a letter urging popular online platform Mumsnet to join them in demanding urgent government action ensuring maternity care is accessible in Gaza.

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/gaza-israel-baby-birth-judi-dench-letter-b2896981.html

There is an episode of the Golden Girls where Rose writes to Reagan and the Russian ambassador asking them to please negotiate peace because it is a big concern in her Girl Guide troup. The Russian Ambassador comes to meet Rose - thinking she is an eight year old girl. The joke is that she is so naive and innocent to the complexities of war, she could only be a child. Same energy here.

It's not wildly illogical, it has put the issue more clearly in the public domain to help achieve a groundswell of public momentum and achieve input from influential figures to actually try to achieve change to save mothers and babies lives.

The complexities of war have not hitherto involved banning Aid agencies from caring for pregnant women

?

I've written to Richard and Judy to intervene. They too have interviewed politicians and have a media platform. I'm sure the Middle East will be resolved any minute now.

Good on you nice to see you trying something positive although surely they are not even on tv anymore?

Make sure to update your cultural references

Looks at title of thread

😂

That's great maybe they'll join public figures such as Audrey Hepburn, Angelina Jolie, George Clooney who have effected significant humanitarian change internationally through their raised profiles.

Only last week I wrote to Ant and Dec to tell them I'm too lazy to solve the climate emergency but I wouldn't want to have to demonstrate to the world that it's not their number one priority.

Yes that's why war is over.

I'm not sure if there is a reading comprehension issue here? This is about trying to get aid to where it is needed, not asking Justine to unilaterally solve the Middle Eastern Crisis.

Talk about manipulation.
In fact I would say that singling people out for attention in the way these celebrities did with Justine is precisely the sort of behavior that you see in oppressive regimes.

I actually have huge sympathy with the cause but find the way the celebrities have gone about this distasteful in the extreme.

And back to personal attacks.

Not all aid agencies will be banned. Only the ones who won't agree to terms necessary for Israeli security, which other aid agencies have agreed to.

According to Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam’s policy lead for Israel and the Palestinian territories, many of the 37 groups had already been blocked from bringing supplies into Gaza since March 2025.

Other agencies still allowed into Gaza include UK-Med, a frontline medical aid charity. Yes it would be better if MSF could also continue to work in Gaza but their choice.

www.uk-med.org/

I am sure Justine will be flattered to learn that she has a similar international profile to those individuals.

Why shouldn’t members of Mumsnet object to being used to support Hamas just because you cannot see the manipulation?

This is an insanely manipulative post.

Requesting a show of support for women in desperate need of maternity care in the hell of Gaza has somehow been twisted to actually be a request to support a terrorist organisation? Please stop this.

Which post, and what are you being manipulated to do?

actors dear girl, actors (said in a haughty voice).

No one is asking anyone to support Hamas??? I am suggesting supporting a campaign that is trying to put pressure on the Uk government to in turn put pressure on the Israeli government to reverse their decision to ban aid organisations ( well respected ones) who have until this point provided support to pregnant Gazan women such as supporting as in the case of MSF one in three births in Gaza. The ban will drastically reduce supports for pregnant Palestinian women leading to increased infant and maternal mortality.