Coronation Street offered me security after surge in anti-Semitic hate… this is where we are now, says Maureen Lipman
CORRIE’S Dame Maureen Lipman was stunned to be offered security to protect her from anti-Semitic attacks, saying: “This is where we are now.”
Soap bosses have spoken privately to to give their support.
There has been a shocking rise in attacks on British Jews since Hamas terrorists stormed into Israel from the Gaza Strip on October 7, killing hundreds and taking scores of hostages.
Dame Maureen, 77 — no- nonsense Evelyn Plummer in the ITV soap — hit out at “bleeding heartless liberals” for failing to condemn the carnage.
Speaking at an event for academics she revealed: “I had a real surprise this week when I was offered security guards by the people at Coronation Street — this is where we are now.”
Another Jewish actress, ex-EastEnders star Tracy-Ann Oberman, 57, was also at the event for the London Centre for the Study of Contemporary Antisemitism.
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Tracy-Ann revealed extra security has been deployed at her touring version of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice.
She wrote: “For the last week, the production has had to have security men around keeping an eye on things. It’s like a dystopian nightmare.
“A Jewish actress putting on a play about anti-Semitism which needs to be made secure because of Jew-hating extremists.
“As one reviewer said, ‘Written in 1600, set in 1936, as relevant today in 2023.’ Ain’t that the truth.”
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ITV stepped in to protect Dame Maureen as part of its duty-of-care protocol.
A source at the channel confirmed last night: “The wellbeing of all our cast and crew is of utmost importance.
“Everyone should feel safe to come to work, and Maureen has the full support of the entire Coronation Street family.”
Dame Maureen had earlier spoken out against a group calling itself Artists for Palestine UK who published a letter accusing Israel of war crimes without mentioning the Hamas attacks.
The letter was signed by celebrities including actors Steve Coogan, Tilda Swinton, Maxine Peake and Miriam Margolyes.
In response Dame Maureen said: “When babies were garrotted, women dragged by their hair and a family had eyeballs gouged out and fingers chopped off in front of their children — do they really think that Israeli blockades on the border with Gaza area justification for such acts of violence?
“Those bigoted signaturists, do they have no soul as well as no judgment?
“These bleeding heartless liberals care so deeply for the Palestinians (who, since 1937, have turned down no fewer than five offers of a two-state solution) that they espouse their cause at the expense of every other oppressed people of the world . . . Shame. Shame. Shame on every one of you.”
Dame Maureen is also among 13,000 signatories of an “October Declaration” condemning the Hamas attacks and the recent surge in anti-Semitism.
Others include Rachel Riley, Vanessa Feltz, Sir Tom Stoppard, Sir Tim Rice and Richard Dawkins.
They also blasted the BBC’s decision not to label Hamas as “terrorists”, and called on police to do more to enforce the law against those promoting terror in the UK.
The declaration claims there has been a 651 per cent rise in recorded anti-Semitic incidents since Hamas launched its murderous attack.
Since then, Jewish schools have been forced to close and Jewish people have faced a barrage of horrific abuse.
The open letter also highlights that more Jews were killed in the atrocity than on any other day since the Holocaust.
It adds: “The Community Security Trust (CST) recorded at least 533 anti-Semitic incidents across the UK between 7-20 October 2023, representing an increase of 651 per cent compared to the same period in 2022. Children have not been spared. Four Jewish schools in Britain felt compelled to close.
“One school was vandalised. It is abominable that British children should now live in fear just because they are Jews.
"All children should be able to attend school without fear.
“British Jews should not live in fear because of actions taken by the state of Israel to defend itself.
“The British state must do everything in its power to protect them.”
Earlier this week Dame Maureen attended a vigil for Israelis abducted by Hamas.
She said: “A lot of people spoke about the experience and it was unbelievably painful — unbearable — to hear them. They were so brave. We must bring them home."
She attracted attention last year when she suggested a Jewish actress should have been considered to play the late Israeli PM Golda Meir in a film.
Dame Maureen rejoined Corrie in 2018 — having previously played Rovers Return relief manager Lillian Spencer in 2002.
Her Evelyn character is a firm favourite with viewers, with Dame Maureen praised for her handling of sensitive storylines.
Coronation Street declined to comment last night.
Meanwhile, Labour in-fighting threatened to intensify yesterday as Sir Keir Starmer backed a crackdown on pro-Palestinian demos.
He urged ministers to look at “gaps in the law” which might have prevented the police acting more strongly at a rally where a man was filmed chanting “jihad”.
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Sir Keir added: “There’s been a huge increase in hate crime in the last few weeks, tragically. We’ve all got a duty to clamp down on hate crime whatever party we’re in.”
Around 23 councillors have quit his party in protest at his stance on Israel blocking supplies to Gaza.
