Akashma Online News

by Marivel Guzman

‘My politics have become rights-based. That’s my duty. I’m pledged to put children before anybody’s politics’ … Vanessa Redgrave. Photograph: David Levene

It takes courage to speak about Israel’s crimes, but it takes integrity to speak for Palestine, Vanessa Redgrave the 1977 Oscar winner has been political activist for most of her life, during her Oscar acceptance speech in 1978, she took the opportunity to denounce the Zionist lobby, calling them “Zionist hoodlums”.

Redgrave is a well known actress that regardless of the Jewish lobby in Hollywood has managed to work in hundreds of films, just in United States she is being nominated more times for her acting roles more than any other actress in the US.
‘Howards End‘ (1993), The Bostonians  (1985), Julia (1977)  won her the Oscar, Redgrave has been nominated throughout her career 53 times, won 50 awards in diverse categories.

Hollywood is a big stage for worldwide actors and at the same time it is a place where you get blacklisted if you speak against Israel, for Vanessa Redgrave did not work she continued to work after that controversial speech at the Oscars.

This is a reminder to all celebrities that trade their integrity for stardom, a reminder to all celebrities that speak the truth about Palestine and then they retract themselves, Vanessa Redgrave should be your example of integrity, she has stand for her believes without fearing repercussions in here career.

Ms Redgrave is a hero that uses the stage for her roles as an actress and as the platform to speak for the voiceless.

Julia, The Palestinian and the Oscar controversy

In 1977, Redgrave funded and narrated a documentary film The Palestinian about Palestinians and the activities of the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
Vanessa Redgrave is a English actress of stage, screen and television, as well as a political activist.

“when Vanessa Redgrave took the stage at the Oscars in 1978 and nearly detonated her career by denouncing the Israeli government for its treatment of Palestine” from the Hollywood Reporter

This is part of her acceptance speech at the 1978 Oscars:

“My dear colleagues, I thank you very much for this tribute to my work. I think that Jane Fonda and I have done the best work of our lives, and I think this is in part due to our director, Fred Zinnemann.”

“And I also think it’s in part because we believed and we believe in what we were expressing–two out of millions who gave their lives and were prepared to sacrifice everything in the fight against fascist and racist Nazi Germany,” Redgrave continued.

She later added, “And I salute you, and I pay tribute to you, and I think you should be very proud that in the last few weeks you’ve stood firm, and you have refused to be intimidated by the threats of a small bunch of Zionist hoodlums whose behavior is an insult to the stature of Jews all over the world and their great and heroic record of struggle against fascism and oppression.”

Vanessa Redgrave talks about those who support Palestine and the right of self determination. NYC Ethical Culture Jan. 13, 2008.

Redgrave’s support of the Palestinian Arabs has reduced her opportunities in Hollywood and even back home in England, where such support was and is more common. Redgrave almost certainly would have been made a Dame by now but for her outspoken views.

She was once married to director Tony Richardson who once said about her, “Vanessa Redgrave is controversial, her enemies hate her, and her friends dislike her.” Others admire her belief of justice for the oppressed, which has led her to such places as Sarajevo and Tibet.

The Palestinian, a 1977 documentary, where Vanessa Redgrave funded and lends her voice premier was sabotaged by “Zionist hoodlums”  The cinema in which this film was to be shown (The Doheny Plaza theatre, Los Angeles) was bombed (15th June, 1978: 04.26am) prior to its screening that day. Causing some $1000 damage, the film was shown at the same cinema the following night.

“Put Gaza’s children before politics, says Vanessa Redgrave” reads the the Guarding headlines on August 1, when Israel was mercilessly killing Palestinian in Gaza.
“I believe in political solutions not in military solutions, like Uri Avnery in Tel Aviv. I fear for the lives of the Israelis who are rallying for peace every Saturday in Tel Aviv. Who go, like Uri Avnery, to the Palestinian villages to stop shootings and demolitions of homes.

Humanitarian agencies have to talk to governments that other governments categorise as “the bad guys”. Until governments agree to talk to the “bad guys” we can never have justice nor peace nor a future for our children anywhere.
Vanessa Redgrave
London, August 1, 2014