Game of Thrones actress ‘devastated’ after baby taken by Israeli social services
Josephine Gillan, who played Marei in the HBO series, published a video of the moment on social media
A British Israeli actress who appeared in Games of Thrones said she was “devastated and heartbroken” after Israel’s social services seized her baby in the middle of the night last week.
Josephine Gillan, who played the part of the prostitute Marei in the HBO series, says authorities took her eight-month old daughter Gloria from the family caring for her while she received therapy for postnatal depression.
Gillan published a video of the moment on Twitter, showing police taking Gloria away at night, and is raising money on the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe to pay for a legal challenge.
The disturbing moment that the #Israeli #socialservices kidnapped my baby!???? At 12:30pm at night on Sunday! My friend pleaded!???? But was threatened to jail if she did not hand over my baby! me & loving friend and her family! We are all heartbroken! ???????? #IsraeliCrimes #unjust ???? pic.twitter.com/azr2GHSede
— josephine gillan (@Officialmarei) August 7, 2019
“I’m not allowed to see her or have contact,” she wrote on the crowdfunding page, accusing social services of “kidnapping” her daughter.
“What Israeli social services have done is illegal and I’m fighting to get her back,” she wrote. “I have not done anything wrong and neither has my friend who was caring from her!”
The child has been placed in foster care – a move authorities say is in Gloria’s best interest, the Jewish Chronicle reported.
A spokesman for Israel’s Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Social Services told the weekly newspaper that “cases such as this are under complete confidentiality by law, therefore it is impossible to reveal identifying details.”
He added: “Professional personnel of the ministry of labor, social care and social services are dealing with this complicated situation and our international unit is in touch with the ministry’s peers in the country of origin, with the judicial system and with all relevant factors.
“The baby’s best interest is what leads any action taken by the ministry.”
Gillan told the JC: “I did anything Israel wanted me to do. I wanted Israel to help me.
“But they decided to take my baby from my care and they didn’t help me – they made things really bad for me.”
She said she was “devastated and heartbroken. Every parent deserves a chance to raise their child.”
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.
