Downton Abbey star accused of ‘Jew-baiting’ after vile tweet to Tracy-Ann Oberman
'What is your response to Israel's actions today!' Samantha Bond asks British Jewish actress following tragic killing of seven aid workers in Gaza
Jewish actress Tracy-Ann Oberman has reacted furiously to a now deleted social media post by Downton Abbey star Samantha Bond questioning her response to the tragic deaths of aid workers in Gaza.
An IDF chief has said the Israeli airstrike on Monday that killed seven people, including three Britons, in an aid convoy for World Central Kitchen was the result of ‘misidentification’.
Actress Samantha Bond, known for her role as Miss Moneypenny in four James Bond films, asked Oberman “Dear @TracyAnnO What is your response to Israel’s actions today! A mistake? 7 people dead! Trying to feed the starving? X’
The message was apparently posted in response to Oberman’s pinned tweet from January promoting the critically acclaimed show, ‘Merchant of Venice’ in which she played a female Shylock living in the East End of 1936.
Oberman, who faced death threats following her portrayal in Shakespeare’s anti-semitic play, responded: “As I am not a spokesperson for the Israeli government why on earth would you send me this tweet? Is it a political purity test? Do you want me to fail it? As a Jew do you hold me and my ‘kind’ collectively responsible? This is a deeply offensive tweet. I’d say this was Jew-baiting chaps”.
Oberman, who has reported Bond’s post to CST, has received staunch support online, with one message saying: “A play – not about Israel, not taking place in Israel, not raising funds for Israel, starring an actress who is not Israeli. Once again the antisemites prove that it’s nothing to do with Israel and everything to do with hating Jews #Antisemitism #jewHate”.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.