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

Haha, Alain Destexhe?? Really?! Of the Azerbaijan corruption, caviar diplomacy and forced resignation scandal? 😂

Sounds like Fox News is his new stream of income.

Unwra had 35, 000 employees I have a staff of far less and couldn’t tell you what they all get up to at the weekend or what their political leanings are. Mossad probably could if it wanted to though

That is the why they want names of staff! You seem very wedded to the idea that NGOs are totally innocent organisations made up of law abiding individuals. There is plenty of evidence to show that is not the case across the whole globe. Oxfam in Haiti for example…

If you read the full report, it’s there. Evidence was not released. That is why funding was reinstated.
If I seem desperate to you it’s perhaps because you’re looking to attack me personally for some reason?

So you are saying MSF have a history of corrupt staff?

So the argument now is that only a small percentage of staff probably participated.

That may well be the case. But even a small percentage of staff delivering aid in Gaza who hate Israel is a security risk for Israel. Therefore, it seems reasonable to many people including me that they would demand details of the identities of all the staff working in aid agencies. They can't be too careful, can they?

I'm not attacking you personally any more than you are attacking me personally. We are having a debate.

I imagine MSF was not lucrative enough for him and didn't afford the wealth making opportunities that caviar diplomacy in Azerbaijan did.

I'm not the one asking MN to support an open letter. The people who are asking for support for that claim they care about maternity care, they obviously don't in general. I think they're politically motivated and/or only interested in a trendy cause which is why I'm posting information about how terrible the situation for maternity care in Afghanistan.

It sadly is very difficult to support women in Afghanistan directly because the Taliban are preventing it (as evidenced by the MSF information)- even more reason to speak up about how silent most of the media are about this and increase international pressure (an open letter to the government would be good sadly am not a famous actress...).

WDI Afghanistan are doing good work. Afghanistan - Women's Declaration International - webpage a bit out of date I suggest following and retweet WDI Afghanistan on twitter who try and get information on Afghani women out and also try and support women to get an (illegal) education - they also talk about how difficult that is. There's a very moving video on their account of women crying when they're told the Taliban have banned females from being and training to be HCPs.

There have been a number of threads on Afghanistan in the feminism board - you can start here: BBC is reporting on women dying in childbirth in Afghanistan | Mumsnet

relevant to the maternal care topic but there are other threads about education, NGOs and other issues.

There was enough evidence for UNWRA to have to make reforms and for 9 members of staff to be sacked...

It sounds like there was some difficulty proving exactly what happened, which is understandable given the chaos of the day. But I'm sure UNWRA didn't sack those 9 people with no evidence whatsoever against them.

So pregnant women must suffer because possibly 0.02% of staff could possibly have sympathies with Hamas, staff that are based in Gaza not Israel.
and we are to believe that Mossad cannot operate without lists, they should really get on to Palantir again, time to get digital Mossad

If you read the report, you will see that is what it says.

But as we know the lists are not even the issue

Women are suffering because they are being terrorised by terrorists who have utilised charity routes to further their endeavours.

Yes must be why Israel are withholding the specialised maternity care units at the border

We've had a lot of threads in FWR on supporting Afghan women over the years. I recommend the Linda Norgrove Foundation if you're looking to help. They're doing great work supporting Afghani women training in healthcare in Scotland.

Can you rec any other agencies or NGOs, OP? I'm happy to help support mothers/maternity care, so long as I trust the NGO involved to be impartial and non political, and know that any aid or support actually goes to where its intended.

I mean, it really is a ridiculous line of argument.

It is akin to saying that because criminal surgeon Ian Paterson existed therefore all NHS operations must stop.

Of course not, because as well all understand that consequence is disproportionate and causes infinitely more harm, as will be the case for women and children in Gaza.

You do the relevant safeguarding (and in the case of MSF who have had 15 of their staff killed by Israel they must be allowed to identify what will protect and let their staff work safely and maintain the longstanding principles of neutrality and independence in warzone situations).

maintain the longstanding principles of neutrality and independence in warzone situations

That's rather the problem.

Maybe because of these guys (among others)?

"A prominent gunrunner for Hamas and a missile specialist for Palestinian Islamic Jihad, both working for MSF"

https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2024/06/26/hamas-gunrunner-pij-missile-specialist-killed-in-israeli-strikes-on-gaza/

The end result of Israel being paranoid that people working in aid agencies could be Hamas sympathisers is that they decided to ask for more detailed information about the identities of aid staff. We don't actually know the percentage of aid staff that are Hamas sympathisers. It could be very small I don't know, but I guess Israel are trying to eliminate as much risk as possible.

The agencies had the choice to comply with the requirements or not. Fortunately, there will still be plenty of agencies able to provide aid into Gaza though I'm sure MSF will be a big loss on the medical side. Maybe they will have a rethink about the data they can provide as don't have to leave Gaza until March.

I think the biggest problem is women and babies at risk of death personally.

Anyone would think these mobile maternity units are Hamas tanks in disguise, by the hyperbole some people are engaging in.

Are they in the units?

Just not the women and babies at risk of death from gun runners and missile specialists?

Save the Children estimate that 20,000 children have died in Gaza over the last 2 years at the hands of Israeli forces. Which gun runners and missile specialists are you referring to?

www.savethechildren.net/news/gaza-20000-children-killed-23-months-war-more-one-child-killed-every-hour

One thing I don't understand, and I might have missed it, but if they want our support then why not sign up and start a thread asking for our support?

Explain what they want to happen, how it will happen, what made them ask for support, answer question?