British Actress Dawn French Apologizes After Gaza War Video Sparks Backlash
Dawn French removes viral video criticizing Israel's actions in Gaza after intense public reaction; says her satire was misinterpreted and apologizes for any offense.
Watan-On Thursday, June 5, British comedian Dawn French published a video in which she expressed her helplessness over the suffering of Gaza’s starving children and the ongoing war. The video, which sharply criticized supporters of the Israeli military campaign in Gaza, was viewed over 4 million times before being deleted.
The 67-year-old actress—best known for her role in the series The Vicar of Dibley—used biting sarcasm in the clip, saying:“Yes, but as you know, they’ve done bad things, and we want their land, and we have history, and these people aren’t really human, are they?”Then answering herself: “No.”
Strong Backlash and Apology
According to The Independent in a report by Greg Evans, the video triggered strong backlash, although the article didn’t specify which groups were involved. The pressure ultimately led French to delete the post and issue a lengthy public apology.
Critics accused French of minimizing the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. In her apology, she wrote:“It was important for me to speak out. I posted the video in the style I often use on social media to make a strong point, employing satire clumsily.”
She added:“It was never my intention to mock, ignore, or diminish the horror of what happened on October 7, or the atrocities that followed—brutal, incomprehensible, and unforgivable. My heart breaks for the innocent people who were killed, tortured, raped, or kidnapped. The fact that hostages are still being held is utterly horrifying.”
Misjudged Satire
French said her real target was the cruel leaders on all sides of the war, whom she described as “bullies who revel in oppression and childish violence.”
“Clearly, I failed to communicate that. That’s my fault,” she admitted, acknowledging the video “seemed biased” and did not reflect “disgust toward Hamas.”
She explained her motivation:“I felt increasingly powerless about the war, especially the suffering of Gaza’s children. I’ve been haunted day and night by images of starving, injured children. History has taught us not to stand by and allow such inhuman violence—especially against innocent children.”
French concluded:“Silence felt like complicity. In my simple way, I wanted to say ‘no’—to both sides—to more violence. I hope you understand my intention was never to cause harm, but clearly I did. I apologize, and I’ve deleted the video.”
Broader Context: Gaza War Death Toll
According to Palestinian health authorities in Gaza, more than 52,800 people have been killed, many of them women and children. Numerous human rights organizations have described the war as a genocide.
On June 4, Mirjana Spoljaric, president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, told the BBC:“Gaza has become hell on earth—worse than that,” adding that world powers have not done enough to end the war, alleviate Palestinian suffering, or secure the release of Israeli hostages.
