Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren targeted in London, called ‘evil Zionist b****’ | Watch the video | Today’s news

Oscar-winning actress Helen Mirren was recently the target of a verbal anti-Semitic attack in London, as a viral video shows. The acclaimed actress was branded an “evil Zionist b****”.

Here is what happened

Video shared by London & UK Street News shows the 80-year-old woman being approached while walking in East London’s Tower Hill neighborhood with her husband Taylor Hackford, 81, on Wednesday night.

“There’s Helen Mirren, an avowed Zionist. You said Israel should last forever because of the Holocaust,” the man yelled, referring to the actress’ 2023 remarks about the Jewish state.

While the actress remained calm and did not respond to the stranger, her husband Hackford responded by saying: “F*** off.”

Mirren supports Israel

According to the New York Post, the acclaimed actress is a longtime supporter of Israel, having visited the Jewish state for the first time in 1967 shortly after the Six-Day War.

Mirren, who played Israel’s first prime minister Golda Meir in the 2023 film “Golda,” said she believed in the “existence of Israel.”

She told Israel’s Channel 12 at the time: “I believe in Israel, in the existence of Israel, and I believe that Israel must go forward into the future, for the rest of eternity,” adding: “I believe in Israel because of the Holocaust.”

Mirren’s appearance in the film has proved controversial, with the London-based Palestine Solidarity Campaign leading calls for a boycott. Her portrayal of Meira drew criticism from some quarters, primarily because the actress is not Jewish. She has previously described herself as “a Christian who does not believe in God”.

In an interview with the Radio Times in 2023, Mirren said that she had discussed the issue with the film’s director, Guy Native, and told him that she was willing to step down from the role if her religion became an issue.

Read also | Israel steps up military operation against Hezbollah, days ahead of talks

According to Mirren, Nattiv dismissed the concerns and insisted that she wanted Golda Meir to play, whereupon production moved forward.

The actress has also repeatedly opposed calls for a cultural boycott of Tel Aviv, arguing that the country’s artistic community will play a significant role in shaping its future.

Mirren, who won the Oscar for Best Actress in 2007 for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II. in the movie “The Queen”, she was also among several prominent personalities who signed a letter supporting Israel’s participation in this year’s Eurovision. She was also among 2,000 celebrities and entertainment executives who signed an open letter condemning Hamas atrocities committed on October 7, 2023.

The letter read: “The nightmare that Israelis have feared for decades has become a reality as Hamas terrorists have infiltrated Israeli cities.”

It further read: “Under cover of thousands of rockets fired indiscriminately at the civilian population, Hamas murdered and kidnapped innocent men, women and children. Kidnapped and murdered babies and the elderly. Raped women and mutilated their bodies. They paraded their bodies through the streets and on social media and cowardly attacked the Supernova music festival and destroyed it.”

“This is terrorism. This is evil. There is no justification or rationalization for the actions of Hamas. These are barbaric terrorist acts that everyone must call out. They are a terrorist organization whose leaders call for the murder of Jews everywhere,” the paper added.

Read also | October 7 attack report: Hamas accused of sexual torture, rape

Since the Hamas attack in Israel and the subsequent conflict in Gaza, anti-Semitic attacks have been on the rise across countries. Last month, two Jewish men were stabbed to death in Golders Green, London. In March, arsonists set fire to four ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity in Golders Green, north London.

A few weeks later, a synagogue and the former site of a Jewish charity in North London were also attacked.

Key things

• The rise in anti-Semitic incidents in response to geopolitical conflicts reflects broader societal issues.
• Prominent figures like Helen Mirren can garner both support and opposition for their political stances.
• Public responses to celebrity activism reveal the complexities of cultural and political identity.