Bob Geldof announced Gaza Aid 2025

[mids2019]

Wait no......Bob is simply reminiscing about Band Aid 40 years ago. Has Bob given up his passionate zeal or as is more highly likely like most high profile musicians decided the Gaza conflict is one to stay well away from and they don't want to be seen the dupes of Hamas propaganda.

Not many big names on TV and the stage are wading into this for good reason and those that do are certainly the naive lovely types.

Also I think in terms of charitable donations for foreign countries Gaza has done significant repitational damage and a lot of people who may have given in the past now are hesitant because of the fear of inadvertently supporting a terrorist organisation as aid flows to them or simply cynical about bias in the presentation of the charitable endeavour.

Bob Geldof is probably terrified of being accused of being antisemitic. We all know how powerful the pro-Israel lobby is. Our own PM is scared to death of them. BG is also probably exhausted after the death of his daughter and doesn't have the energy now.

Probably for the same reason that the BBC could have used last nights rerun of the concerts in full as a fund raiser but didn’t. Unlike the Ukraine war where there is an obvious aggressor, the Gaza situation is far more nuanced and the capacity to help innocent civilians harder to navigate .

Please tell us how powerful the pro-Israel lobby is. Who are they? How do they exercise that power?

https://www.timesandstar.co.uk/news/national/uk-today/25309164.much-money-live-aid-raise-see-total-amount/

know old enough condemned this and it is evidence the West can be very generous when they are a cause is just and are moved with demonstrable famine. You would assume Bob Geldof would be banging tables currently during live aids anniversary saying there was another famine needing addressing but his silence probably suggests that like a lot of public figures there is degree of doubt and a reluctance to step into a political minefield. Similarly with comic relief the organisers are conscious of having to avoid wading into this conflict when seeking to alleviating suffering in foreign countries; the risk of succumbing to Hamas propaganda is too high.

I think charities have to be very careful of being seen as non partisan in a conflict but organisations like the red cross are doing themselves aspirational damage by have Facebook posts saying Israel needs we arming. Even those who are naturally empathetic of human suffering will shy away from these groups.

Have you seen any evidence for what Bob Geldof thinks?

I don't understand the point of this thread.

Why do you think our PM is 'scared to death' of the 'pro Israel' lobby?

I’m wondering too - seems entirely obvious that this is less straightforward than the original liveaid cause and at the same time any take on geldof’s position is speculation.

And what does @TheGrimSmile think 'they' can do to him?

I suspect that poster won't be back to defend the bingo card of a post they coughed up.

Bob Geldof is a 73 yr old bloke. Because he organised something so epic 40 years ago, am not sure why you think he should be doing this now?

I’m tired of the pro Israel, anti Hamas rhetoric. People in Gaza are innocent bystanders that were obliged to support a terrorist organisation and are now suffering the most dreadful consequences.
I had friends from the West Bank (not quite the same presently I acknowledge) and I know they’ve had to endure decades of domination. You rarely hear stories the other way.
But it’s their argument. If the USA and all her lackeys, us included, stopped interfering this would have been over long ago.

Why on earth would anyone think it’s Bob Geldof’s issue to sort? He’s a 73 year old man who’s done more than his bit. And he was heavily criticised at the time for having a ‘white saviour’ complex. The two situations are entirely different. Michael Buerk highlighted a very underreported issue in his now-famous news report and BG picked up the baton and did something about it. The Gaza situation is very different - it is not unknown, there is already money and aid available to support the people who need it but it is politics that is preventing that aid from being distributed. How is BG supposed to sort that when neither the UN nor any politician can thus far?

We agree on this one. Neither do I.

@mids2019 what is the point of this thread?

Tired of 'anti-Hamas rhetoric'? You are not 'anti' the people who conducted 7 October? Do you know how Hamas terrorised their own citizens for 20 odd years and continue to do so? The only way it would have been over long ago would have been if Israel's opponents had been successful in destroying Israel. Thankfully they were not.

Is this a roundabout way of saying you are happy that Bob Geldof didn't mention Gaza yesterday? I don't think anyone expected to. Was there a fundraiser?

We all know what a hypocrite millionnaire Geldof is. How awful to be terrified of being accused of antisemitism. I'd say its far more awful to be on the receiving end of it. Are you this casual about all forms of racism?

I won't ever be tired of anything anti Hamas. I don't care for proscribed terrorists. * *

How would any aid get into Gaza, since Israel controls the borders?

Fundraising for a famine is not the same as fundraising for a war zone under seige.

Aid is getting in.

What are you wittering on about OP? Could you clarify?

Please tell us how powerful the pro-Israel lobby is. Who are they? How do they exercise that power?

You’re surely not trying to suggest the existence of a pro-Israel lobby is an antisemitic conspiracy theory are you @SharonEllis?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IsraellobbyintheUnitedKingdom

US

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_lobby_in_the_United_States

Your own link suggests that lobbying on behalf of Israel in the UK is not particularly large scale yet the pp thinks their 'power' has the capacity to 'terrify' the most powrerful person in this country. I'm i terested in how that works.