In a disturbing sign of the times on Britain's streets, national treasure Dame Helen Mirren was subjected to a foul-mouthed tirade by a pro-Palestine activist who branded the 80-year-old screen legend an 'evil Zionist b****'.The shocking incident unfolded on Wednesday evening as the actress, who is not Jewish, and her American director husband, Taylor Hackford, also in his 80s, were walking arm-in-arm through central London after a night out.
Footage captured by the abuser himself and shared widely on social media shows the pair calmly making their way along the pavement when a man approaches with his camera phone, launching into a venomous rant.'And there is Helen Mirren, the avowed Zionist,' he sneers. 'You said Israel should last forever because of the Holocaust. And she was very happy that Palestinians' houses were gone. You are an evil Zionist b****. And you as well, f*** you as well.'
Dame Helen, dressed in a light trench coat with a white headband in her silver hair, maintains her composure, even offering a slight smile at one point as the abuse continues. Her husband, wearing a flat cap and dark coat, is having none of it. With hands in his pockets, the veteran filmmaker tells the harasser in no uncertain terms: 'F*** off.'
The confrontation, which took place near Tower Hill, highlights the growing climate of intimidation faced by public figures perceived as supportive of Israel amid the ongoing Middle East tensions.
Dame Helen has long been open about her admiration for the Jewish state. In past interviews, she has described Israel as an 'extraordinary country' that 'must exist for eternity' in light of the lessons of the Holocaust. She has opposed cultural boycotts of the country and even portrayed Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir in the 2023 biopic Golda.
The Campaign Against Antisemitism, which shared the video, condemned the attack as 'absolutely appalling' and symptomatic of a dangerous new low in public discourse.'We are now at a point where public figures can be screamed at and abused simply for being perceived as being sympathetic to the world’s only Jewish state or unwilling to conform to an ideological litmus test,' the group said. 'This is not activism. It is intimidation, mob behaviour and extremism masquerading as moral virtue.'
