The Telegraph has named Mandy Damari, a British mother whose daughter Emily was taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7 attacks, in its "Women of the Year" list, compensating for her absence from the BBC’s prestigious 2024 list of 100 “inspiring and influential women.”
Despite her global campaign to secure her daughter’s release, which has included high-level meetings with political leaders and the UN, Damari was excluded from the BBC’s list.
Michael Deacon of the Telegraph pointed out that this omission gave the impression that the BBC’s list was "not really about celebrating women".
The BBC’s list highlights women who have “demonstrated resilience in the face of global challenges” and “shaped futures despite difficult circumstances”.
Yet, Damari’s extensive efforts—travelling across the globe, meeting high-level political leaders, engaging with the UN, and working with humanitarian organisations—have gone unrecognised.
Since her daughter’s kidnapping, Damari has dedicated herself to advocating for her daughter’s release, meeting with the President of the International Red Cross in Geneva twice to demand more action.
In a recent interview with the Telegraph, Damari spoke candidly about the frustration she’s felt with the international community and the British government’s response. "Last month, the British government voted for an unconditional ceasefire in the UN that would leave Emily and the other hostages in the hands of Hamas, giving them no incentive to ever release them," she said.
"That vote shocked me and broke my heart. It would make the situation worse for everyone. It was as if the British government was saying that these hostages, including my daughter, are expendable."
Damari has expressed her belief that governments and organisations can do more, saying, “I believe everyone can do more.”
She is also critical of the UK government’s approach to funding, particularly following the Tory government’s decision to cut funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), after links between some staff and the October 7 attacks were discovered. "Where is that money going now?" she asked. "Why are we not using it to help the hostages?"
Damari also expressed her deep dissatisfaction with the limited role of humanitarian organisations, especially the International Red Cross, in responding to the crisis. Despite her personal visits to Geneva to meet with Red Cross officials, she felt that their efforts were insufficient.
“They basically say they’re trying to do as much as they can, but Hamas is a terror organisation, and we can’t force them to do anything even though it’s a war crime,” she said. “What is going on? Why aren’t they getting humanitarian aid to Emily and the other hostages when we know aid is going into Gaza? They just say, ‘Well, we can’t do it. They won’t let us in.’”
Despite these setbacks, Damari remains undeterred in her mission to bring her daughter home.
She has received multiple pieces of "proof of life" from Emily, which have given her some hope that her daughter is still alive.
Damari has continued to call for an immediate ceasefire to protect the remaining hostages, stressing that time is running out. "We need a ceasefire now to get as many people out alive as possible," she said, adding that prolonging the conflict increases the chances of the hostages being killed.
In contrast, Einav Zangauker, an Israeli woman whose son Matan was also taken hostage during the October 7 attacks, was included in the BBC’s list.
Zangauker has become an “outspoken critic of the Israeli government”, demanding a ceasefire to ensure the safe release of hostages.
