Actress Kate Winslet admits she didn’t fact-check before narrating anti-Israel documentary

A-list actress says she did not mean to take a political stance when narrating biased documentary that demonizes Israel and is showing at a dozen theaters in the UK.

By World Israel News Staff

Academy Award-winning actress Kate Winslet admitted that she didn’t fact check before agreeing to narrate a documentary about last year’s Israel-Gaza clash, which has been criticized for its non-factual and biased reporting, and appeared to distance herself from one of the film’s creators.

Eleven Days in May, a new film purporting to focus on the child victims of May 2021’s Operation Guardian of the Walls for which Winslet provided narration, is riddled with factual errors and devoid of context.

During the 90-minute movie, there is a brief mention of “seven rockets” fired from the Strip, but no information about an additional 4,360 rockets launched from Gaza during the flare-up.

One “child” killed during the conflict, who was presented as a victim of Israeli aggression, was actually a 17-year-old who was slain alongside his Hamas commander father as they launched rockets at civilian areas in Israel.

Other child victims highlighted in the film were killed by friendly fire (Hamas-launched rockets that fell short and landed in the Strip), but the movie does not note that fact.

The film has also raised eyebrows due to the participation of Gaza-based filmmaker Mohammed Sawaf, whose father was the editor of Hamas’ daily newspaper. The Sawaf family has close links to Hamas’ former chief Ismail Haniyeh.

Winslet said that she agreed to work with one of the film’s directors, Michael Winterbottom, whom she had partnered with on past projects. However, she insinuated that she was unaware of Sawwaf’s involvement in the filmmaking process.

“Michael invited me to narrate a documentary he was making with the support of UNICEF and Oxfam, on the impact of war on children. In this case, the children of Palestine,” Winslet said in a statement to Jewish News.

“I’ve trusted Michael for over 25 years, so put my faith in him to ensure the final product befitted these admirable humanitarian organizations. The decision seemed simple.

“I did not speak to anyone else involved. I’ve been a supporter of UNICEF and Oxfam’s work protecting innocent children for decades and therefore offered my services on a no-fee basis, instead requesting a donation be made to Oxfam.

“That my participation could be interpreted as taking a stand on the rights and wrongs of one of the world’s most tragic and intractable conflicts never entered my thinking. War is a tragedy for all sides. Children have no voice in conflict. I simply wanted to lend them mine.”