Dawn French has taken down a video she posted on Instagram about the war in Gaza, saying she apologised “unreservedly” for it.
The video sparked a backlash, with critics accusing the actress and comedian of appearing to “mock” the 7 October 2023 attack that triggered the war.
On Saturday, French acknowledged on Instagram that the video “appeared one-sided”, and said she never meant to “mock, or dismiss, or diminish the horror” of that day.
“I hope you will understand my intention was not to offend, but I clearly have. For which I am sorry and I have removed the video,” she added.
In the 40-second video, posted earlier this week, the Vicar of Dibley star shared her views on the ongoing war, saying: “Complicated, no, but nuanced. But [the] bottom line is no.”
Switching into a high-pitched voice, she went on to say: “Yeah, but you know they did a bad thing to us, yeah but no. But we want that land… and we have history… No. Those people aren’t really even people, are they really? No.”
On social media, people were quick to criticise her, with actress Tracy-Ann Oberman saying she was “so saddened” by the post.
“This mocking voice ‘bad thing’ of October 7 that Dawn (who I revere by the way) appears [to] be mocking involved the most horrific terrorist attack involving rape, sexual violence, burning alive, child mutilation and taking of civilian hostages,” she wrote.
“Why would Dawn seem to deny that which has affected so many of us personally in the most painful way possible.”
MP Rosie Duffield commented on Oberman’s post, writing: “One can, and should hate what is happening in Gaza and also condemn the hideous events of October 7th.
“It is agonising to see events unfold, and requires extremely careful, measured and well-considered comments and actions. This is not that.”
Meanwhile, screenwriter and activist Lee Kern called her video “sneering mockery”.
Responding to the backlash, French said that she had posted a video in the style that she has been using for social media “in an effort to convey an important point”.
She added that she had “clumsily used a mocking tone”.
“My intention was NEVER to mock, or dismiss, or diminish the horror of what happened on 7 October 2023 and what continues to unfold from that brutal unthinkable, unforgiveable, savage attack,” she said.
She said her intention had been “to mock and point the finger of shame at the behaviour of the cruel leaders on all sides of this atrocious war”.
“THEY were my target, but clearly I failed to do that, and that’s on me. I apologise unreservedly, and I’m particularly sorry that my disgust at Hamas didn’t figure. It appeared one-sided and that is wrong.”
Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led cross-border attack almost 20 months ago, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.
Some 54 of those captured during the attack remain in captivity, including 31 the Israeli military says are dead.
At least 54,607 people have been killed in Gaza since then, including 4,335 since Israel resumed its offensive on 18 March, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
