I’ve been reticent to cover anything regarding the confluence of Hollywood and the Israel/Palestine conflict. Part of it is that I genuinely don’t like wading too far into the politics of Israel and part of it is that nothing is going to be solved by everybody yelling at each other on a blog. I did read an interesting piece in THR a few weeks ago, about a new generation of Hollywood actors and celebrities who are more willing to question Israel’s policies, regardless of any backlash – it’s a good piece and you can read it here.
So, why bring it up now? Because it involves George Clooney and Amal Alamuddin. More Amal than George, actually. You know how everybody keeps saying that Amal is a top human-rights barrister (and when anyone digs into her legal background, they find that she’s worked with several dictators and despots)? Well, Amal’s name was mentioned heavily yesterday when the UN announced that they would be sending a team of investigators and lawyers to Israel and Gaza. The team has been instructed to observe the alleged (or not so much) war crimes on both sides. The Daily Mail – and other sites – claimed that Amal was asked to be part of the team. There was so much talk about it, Amal had to issue her own statement. This is the first public statement she’s made all year!
Amal Alamuddin will not be participating in the UN commission on Gaza.
“There are various reports published today stating that I have been appointed as one of three members of the UN Commission of Inquiry for Gaza. I am horrified by the situation in the occupied Gaza Strip, particularly the civilian casualties that have been caused, and strongly believe that there should be an independent investigation and accountability for crimes that have been committed. I was contacted by the UN about this for the first time this morning,” she said in a statement Monday.
“I am honored to have received the offer, but given existing commitments — including eight ongoing cases — unfortunately could not accept this role. I wish my colleagues who will serve on the commission courage and strength in their endeavors.”
It was erroneously reported that Alamuddin, 36, was chosen as a member of the UN commission on the war in Gaza on Monday.
She has eight ongoing cases… AND she’s planning a wedding in Italy! She’s taken a lot of time off from work for a woman with eight major, pressing cases. I mean, if I was Amal, I wouldn’t want to be part of this team either for many reasons. For one, being a part of this team wouldn’t help her in the least, politically or personally. She does have the wedding coming up. What’s a girl to do? Postpone and play hard to get with a man who’s hard to get? Or prioritize the wedding of the year and turn down a job in which she might be able to make a difference in a humanitarian crisis? See what I mean? Rock and a hard place.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
But has she met Brangelina yet???!!!
(Way to marry up, Clooney. Dang.)
There are going to be so many pictures that can not be “Unseen”. They will become a part of your physiological composite. A form of PTS would be emanate for even the most hardened people. This are mental images that can not be turned off or forgotten. This woman is going to start a joyful path. I do not blame her for saying no.
It must be brought to light and I wish the people that are going to deal with these atrocities the strength they will need to endure the coming events.
Maybe Angie can go instead!
I hope you’re joking.
why?
Angie hasn’t got any legal qualifications. Why would she take the place of a lawyer?
amal is a lawyer and angelina is not……….so…that doesn’t make any sense
A lawyer isn’t necessary to do this job. Plenty of career diplomats and others engaged in heavy duty international relations are not lawyers.
I’m not seeing how Amal is all that qualified yet for this commission. Even given the political aspects and connections that help get you plum work in the field, the super inflating of her career is amusing. In any event, considering the other names mentioned for the commission this seems ill conceived by the UN from the get- go.
What kat and nicole said. I’ll also add that people with the proper qualifications should take part in such UN missions. They’ll also draft reports etc. and I strongly doubt Angelina Jolie i able or qualified to perform such a role.
thank you for your answer grace , and yes i was joking in fact i was being sarcastic
@Grace This is a ridiculous thing to say. First of all, having worked for said organization I know exactly what they’re doing and trying to garner attention for themselves, its purely self motivated, not because she’s particularly qualified for the job. Its because she’s marrying George and therefore that makes her visable, which makes them visible.
Secondly, she is Lebanese, so there is no reason in the world why she should feel obligated to take part in such regional discussions. It will put her in a very bad situation, politically. (and yes, I have lived in the region, so just try to get away from the politics) .
Thirdly, Angelina Jolie, has been classified as a genious, if you do any research before making such a comment, and she not only brings A LOT of attention to the cause to which she is designated but is articulate and involved.
Fourth, despot or not, working in the law will tell you that everyone deserves a defense or representation – and it is your fiduciary duty as a representative to the law – to remain, impartial and unbiased.
@MHRB I agree that Angie bring a lot of awareness, but to herself !
I think she would have been involved but being linked to clooney is too risky for him. Anyone seen the heavy backlash Javiar Badrem and Penelope Cruz recieved because they signed an open letter calling for boycott of Israel? Yeah, celebrities are scared of backlash, particulary from haim Saban.
Could you explain this? I don’t understand how anybody would be afraid to speak out on something that is so obviously and fundamentally wrong.
If you speak against Israel’s politics you are often accused of anti-Semitism. Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz for example issued an open letter along with other spanish actors and directors. They had to issue another one to explain that they are not anti-Semitic and just want the war to be over. I’m not sure if they even asked to boycott Israel. It’s a very sensitive issue, that’s why many celebritys probably try to avoid the topic. Though I don’t think that’s why Amal rejected the job.
Mondoweiss has an excellent article on it @K. they quote unname executive producers who said they personally blacklisted Penelope Cruz and javiar badrem. I dunno if I can post links tho. My posts keep getting deleted cause they are ‘too political’. (Talk about bias)..
Jenny, have you ever experienced a Hamas rocket? Or an Israeli one? I experienced both and I can tell you when under Israeli invasion it was much much scarier.
Excuse me but children as young as six have now lived through three wars in Gaza and suffer from PTSD. 82% are continously in fear of imminent death. It’s horrific and needs to stop.
Jenny, nobody is saying that the Hamas is without guilt. But seriously, what do you expect to get when you lock people up and deny them education, food and economy? Both sides commited crimes.
+1
The backlash against Javier and Penelope has been crazy, all they did was sign a letter and they’re supposedly being blacklisted by several producers and big companies
Wow. I applaud them for not turning a blind eye to this. 👏👏👏👏👏👏
I applaud them even more them! How brave!
the backlash has been absolutely crazy. ryan kavanaugh of relativity media not only called them anti-semites and said they would never work for him again but also implied that spain was so anti-semtic and evil that they could have another holocaust. it was utterly outrageous.
Most celebrities don’t have a clue as to what they’re saying/defending. If you’re not crying about the thousands on Syrian’s being killed at the very same time, it’s unlikely that you’re all of a sudden super informed about Palestinian hardships.
@Dani: I think people are more sensitive to Palestine because it’s an occupied land with drastic measures (they live like in a prison) instead of Syria where it’s a civil war. But still you can be more concerned by a certain issue than other so the comparison Syria /Palestine is not a good one.
Palestinian’s are living like prisoners because of who they voted in for office. I think there are a lot of unfair comparisons going on, one of them being that Israel doesn’t have as many casualties but why is that a bad thing? Civil war is even more drastic and deserves even more attention, but no one is crying out for them. The issue at hand is tragic for both sides regardless of the number of deaths, but no one will over look that. Celebrities are uninformed and it’s not new.
I’m obviously going to be in the minority here and so be it, but Israel has a right to defend itself. If missiles were being shot as us, I would expect our government to retaliate. They are the size of a postage stamp surrounded by countries that are openly declaring that their intent is to wipe them off the face of the earth. And that is followed up by them boldly exclaiming that we are next. Netanyahu put it perfectly when he explains that they use weapons to protect their children while Hamas is using their children to protect their weapons. What other country warns the enemy ahead of time about a military strike?
And then we have ISIS marching across the mid east, posting pictures of 7 year olds holding up severed heads. Christians are being slaughtered, children are being beheaded and buried alive. There is a genocide occurring and no one is stopping it. When Al Qaeda is denouncing what these ‘people’ are doing, you are dealing with true evil that must be stopped. People are being executed by the masses and thrown in a pit. The people of Mosul which is one of the oldest Christian communities are being forced to convert or die. They are running for their lives and leaving everything behind. Anti semitism is on the rise again. We have to care because someday that evil just might show up at our doorstep, then what.
War is not pretty, and it’s the innocents that pay the price for the handful of madmen running things and using them as pawns. When my mother who was born in Massachusetts but grew up in Germany during WWII, had bombs dropping around her no one cared about being so precise. Had she been on the other end of a bomb shelter, she nor I or my siblings would be here.
+1 Dani and Nicolette. The letter accuses one side of genocide, but makes no mention of the other side’s founding charter, which calls for the extermination of all Jews. So, I think a big part of the backlash is against the content of the letter itself.
@Nicolette-very well said. Every nation has the right to defend itself if it’s being attacked. And a nation also has the right to fight for itself if it’s being occupied by another. I am so afraid that there will never be peace in that region. And now we have ISIS, a group so evil that my soul cringes. Between ISIS and Boko Haram, I fear for all of us. Extremism is inherently evil in any form.
@Dani well stated! @Nicolette you summed it better than I could have. You said it So perfectly well. @Izzy I agree with you compeletely that part of the backlash they received is because of the contents of the letter @kri I agree with you that extremism is inherently evil in any form.
I agree Nicolette…. I think a lot of the people who are very opinionated about this have never been to Israel.. Israel is the size of New Jersey, and everyone must serve in the army so when some teenager is killed or kidnapped, or a bus is blown up..which happens extremely often – it is usually someone you know or a friend of a friend. It just isn’t fathomable for us, and I’m glad it isn’t. They are under constant attack and there are bomb shelters everywhere.
Both sides – are fed propaganda from their government/leaders as news that inflates numbers and sometimes outright lies.
Russel Brand says it better than I can:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=V_m98GAdqKM
@Nicolette
Hamas isn’t using children as human shields, that is propaganda. They are dying from the missile attacks. There IS a genocide going on and no one is stopping it, true. Although something tells me we won’t agree on who it is.
@K: Brilliant!
He says it better than I can too!
@An:
I fully and totally agree with everything you said!
@Truthful, thank you!
@Kri
Every nation has the right to defend itself but they must stay proportionally within international law and human rights laws. Bombing hospitals and schools violates the Geneva convention and are classified as war crimes.
@Dani
Hamas leaders have repeatedly made it clear that they would accept a two-state settlement in accord with the international consensus that has been blocked by the U.S and Israel for the last 40 years.
Alamuddin comes from a pro Palestinian family (Arabs are overwhelmingly against Israel) and Clooney comes from a pro Israel country. Gaza is definitely something to stay far away from!
Well to be fair, we really don’t know what her caseload is like. We see a few pap shots once a week, we can’t automatically assume she doesn’t do any work and all she cares about is her wedding (which she is allowed to care about!)
And maybe her firm would be against her wading into the Gaza conflict? Or her clients?
This.
Yep. There are so many reasons why she might not be able/willing to go, her wedding probably being very far down the list. Lawyers can’t just take on any case/project they want if they work for a firm and have other clients.
And I’m really surprised by people thinking they know how much time she takes off. I work in a big law firm and yes, lawyers go on vacation. And they take their tablet etc. and work the whole time. A LOT of time is spent on studying/reviewing files. You can do that anywhere.
My mom has worked for a couple of prominent law partners for over a decade, and they are out of the office all the time, and yet, remain in contact. One of the two was actually in a very serious accident this summer and was critically injured, and he was seriously reviewing briefs written by underlings from the ICU. And that’s a great point about the firm having a say in what cases are taken by their lawyers.
I agree. People act like we see her 24/7
and we know for sure that she isn’t working. Absurd.
To be fair we see a fraction of the pap shots here. There are loads more out there. She’s often on her phone, or shopping in stores, or grabbing coffee.
And much of her time early on was said to be on vacation wth Clooney. That could mean a beachhouse or yacht. She could work remotely from either location.
So, just because we don’t see her papped 24/7 doesn’t mean she’s working. And just because she’s on vacation doesn’t mean she isn’t telecommuting.
I’m not trying to shade her, this is a genuine question: How does she have all this work coming and going, but appears to be on vacation all the time? Is she able to work from home?
A lot of barristers do work from home a lot of the time (they generally belong to a chambers but thar doesn’t mean they necessarily have a full office there)
People think she has been papped so often, but all I have seen is the same regurgitated pap shots and many of those she was with colleagues. A lot of people forget or don’t know that heaps of professionals take fridays and often mondays off to fly to European destinations for the weekend. She can also work very well in Lake Como. I presume George has internet in his house.
^ THIS. If lawyering in the UK is anything like it is over here, it’s not like you’re sitting in court all day, every day. Hardly. It’s months of office and prep work, then the trial, and most of them do not last months unless they are truly high-profile (or badly mismanaged, like some we have seen televised).
It just seemed like her job was really intense and demanding that’s all.
I like her style. Very very nice!
Are these the only pictures you’ve seen? The lace crop top and forever 21 blue stained pants make me wonder if she’ll get the Clooney makeover. Her pink and purple heels look identicle to my barbie heels when I was 4.
The upside is that the UN got heavy press on this by asking her to go. Maybe they never expected that she would accept.
I, too, wonder why they asked her in the first place. She’s not overly experienced, but does speak the language. However, she worked for Kofi Annan…
The upside is her chunky plastic necklace is on display again for you, Kidzilla. 🙂
Oh noes, you aren’t sending more, are you? Did you notice that Franco did his hair blonde?
Lol I saw that this morning and totally thought of you!
Way too many celebrities are scared to mess with their livelihood,but oh to be a fly on the wall to hear what they really think. The Powers that Be mean business!!!
Hollywood and the entertainment field is full of self-involved, somewhat egotistical and narcissistic people. You’d pretty much have to be to survive all that negativity, criticism and rejection.
I would think most celebrities are too self-involved to really stop and think about their position on an issue. There’s the rare exceptions of a handful of celebrities that are really educated and thoughtful about an issue or two but overall most celebrities probably don’t care and don’t really have an opinion on most things.
Not just that, but think about how few of them have a high school education, let alone a college education. Why on earth would we even want these people’s opinions?
Is it only self involvment? Maybe in many cases, but I wonder if for some there isn’t genuine fear, and not only for their income but for their safety and/or sanity.
I remember some interviews of Vanessa Redgrave and Susan Sarandon stating that, at some point they were threatened regularly for their activism.Same for their family.
The fate of the late Jean Seberg tends to show that being too vocal or militant can cost you more than parts in movies.
Closer to us, I also remember, after the Million Mom March, some crazy people wishing horrible things on Wihterspoon’s daughter, a newborn at the time. Something along the line of “See if you still preach gun control after someone hurts your baby”.It can be upsetting and not everyone has the the spine of a Sarandon or a Redgrave. Safer to endorse the fight against cancer.
@ pleaseicu I couldn’t agree with you more.
@ Bridget
I think your comment is a little offensive. I’m a college graduate and I don’t think my opinion is more important then some one who didn’t. I mean really Donald Trump and a lot of the Fox News people went to college and have said some really stupid uneducated stuff time and time again. Are you saying that you would prefer their opinion over some who didn’t have that college education but knew what they were talking about?
Not a commentary on the value of a college education so much as a commentary on the value that most celebrities place on intellectual curiosity and learning, and the fact that we’re placing an awful lot of weight on the opinions of individuals with little formal education. Yes there are always exceptions (celebrities who pursued higher learning or who have chosen to educate and inform themselves), amd having a college education doesn’t automatically make you smart. But people frequently forget that just because someone has played a smart character on TV doesn’t necessarily make that actor smart themselves.
Lol@ 8 ongoing cases! Haha haha. Thanks for the laugh Amal.
That is a really tiny caseload
I realize that but I feel she has no case load, period.
It depends. You could have one case that occupied all of your time, 18 hours a day, seven days a week for years. Really, I am a little tired of people making disparaging remarks about her using generalizations that have no basis in reality or fact.
@ GNAT: Word.
This is not Duchess Waity. We don’t know how much she works.
I base my statement that eight is a tiny caseload on my own experiences as an attorney and dealing with other attorneys who are colleagues, adversaries, and friends. Yes, one case can take most of your work-time and a part of every day AND go on for years but generally, there are other cases being handled that aren’t as active. Things often sit for months; sometimes years, and cases go through cycles. And eight is a tiny caseload.
@Lilacflowers
I base my opinion that your statement is absurd on my 25 years as a paralegal, being married to a lawyer, having a lawyer as a father and being friends with and working for lawyers my entire life. It depends entirely on the size of her cases and what kind of cases they are. If you have 8 individual personal injury cases, yeah, that’s a tiny caseload. If you have 8 active antitrust cases, you’re dead. My husband does corporate litigation. There have been times when he had 20 cases in different stages, and times when he had 2 very active and huge cases. He has always been very busy and worked long hours, and his caseload has never been “tiny.”
Eliza, would you laugh at the barristers who worked on the bloody sunday case? They were occupied with that one (1) case for the better part of ten (10) years……..
And they made several millions, each, from it.
Well said indeed.
I do think this woman has been presumed ‘guilty’ from the start, and any information suggesting integrity is viewed with suspicion. Pretty rotten treatment.
ITA
Absolutely with you, she is not the kind of lawyer that can pull the big guns in term of International law, these ones are super busy and don’t have time to put energy into a showmance and smile for the paparazzi!
Yeah, you’re right. Lawyers do nothing but work. That’s why they never fall in love, marry, have children, buy vacation homes, travel, have Christmas or Hanukkah, attend parties, go out to dinner, play golf or tennis, have a manicure or a facial, eat or go to the bathroom. They are non-humans. They are different from any other profession. They work 24 hours a day and never sleep. They work work work and if you see one long enough to take its picture, it’s not really a lawyer.
@GNAT especially not if they’ve graduated from top universities or clerked for a future Supreme Court Justice.
@goodnamesalltaken: no need for extrapolating what I said. Sure they have a life that includes family time and leisure, but they are not every other week end somewhere or off to a location, even if they can work from everywhere.
source: my mom, a lawyer.
I’m not really aiming it at you, truthful. Sorry if it seemed that way. I was really reacting to weeks of reading how she can’t really be a serious contender because of this or that when people have no idea what they’re talking about. I’m just so tired of this attitude on here that she can’t really be an attorney if she ever does anything else or goes anywhere. It’s ridiculous. Your mother is fine lawyer, I’m sure, but every situation is not the same. Many of my husband’s partners have second homes, some in Europe, and they are not in the office half the time. One of my best friends is an employment lawyer, very busy, and she travels with her family to London, Paris, Nantucket all the time. She just works from there. She’s very busy and successful, but people on here would see that she takes time once a week to get a manicure and they would deny she has a job. I’m just tired of it. Sorry to seem to take it out on you.
@Goodnames: that’s Ok I understand, I didn’t follow up her coverage maybe that”s why, my mom travels with us a lot too and works at the same time (she does international arbitration) but I think that Amal’s bad luck is that with a celebrity as a boyfriend she is constantly pappe’d and people take her less seriously than any other lawyer. It’s unfair but she comes across as enjoying the new attention and that does her no favor.
I was surprise about this extrapolation toward my words, and especially from you ,but I understand perfectly where you are coming from (it did happened to me too at some point!)
Thank you, Truthful. You are kinder than I deserve. Again, sorry to seem to be so rude to you.
Bridget, can we just put to bed once and for your misinformation that Amal clerked for a future Supreme Court Justice?
A clerkship, especially one for a federal circuit court judge, is a highly sought after, highly competitive paid position. Clerking is something you do AFTER you graduate. What Amal did was an unpaid, volunteer student internship.
There is a HUGE difference between the two. One is a plum job you want to highlight on your CV, the other you barely mention.
As an aside, those who can afford to do unpaid work are usually those whose parents are footing the bill through law school. I’ll bet Amal had no crushing student loans after graduation. Which in turn made me wonder why she went to Big Law rather than go work for a real human rights organization where she could have been a real human rights lawyer.
Don’t love her clothes, but would enjoy raiding her shoe cupboard.
That’s about all I got, too. Nice shoes.
I think she’s scared of Joan Rivers. Or George is.
Bad (and inappropriate, for which I apologise – you know me, I can’t resist) jokes aside – whatever case load she *does* have, even if we can’t see the extent of it, would definitely suffer if she took on that heartache and quagmire. I think you’d have to be able to devote yourself to it. If she can’t, she can’t.
I’m not big on Amal Thingy, but I would like to reiterate that being a human rights lawyer doesn’t actually mean you stick up for the pure: it means you’re an expert in an area of law. Two very different things. And the ICC assigns cases. You don’t necessarily get to pick only the good guys (whoever they may be): you get what they give you if you’re signed up to them.
Damned good point Sixer
As someone said yesterday, re Michael Douglas’ son, ‘jail is for everyone’. So are human rights, in a court of law. Lawyers may well be required to represent loathsome people who, like the rest of us, are entitled at least to a fair trial.
@ Chris
“Lucky” those who commit serious human rights violations and are entitled at least to a fair trial. That’s my bad quality sarcasm, and it is not directed towards you. Their victims are denied their life and dignity. Too much suffering and injustice in the world for so many.
Amal would not be able to make any difference by either going or not going. And she knows it all too well. If you think this UN thingy will be actually deciding something, you are wrong. So it doesn’t matter if she has these cases or simply doesn’t want to go, she has the right to do as she pleases: she is not a royal or a celebrity, so she doesn’t owe you anything.
What? No. She’ll be part of a group investigating. And while it’s often said nothing comes from the UN investigations it does from time to time make a difference. That you think this doesn’t matter is, for lack of a better word, ignorant to what driven people can accomplish.
And at this point she’s almost a celebrity. Her case load has lightened. She’s use to the paps and pap strolls. She’s about to marry Clooney so at the very least she will be the wife of a celebrity that doesn’t mind the spotlight.
Lastly, who said she owed anyone anything? That makes no sense. Maybe a touch too defensive?
I think she was asked because of Clooney and would bring attention, if you read who was asked and serving on this committee it is a whose who of internationally experts, with many years of human rights experience.
Or maybe she was asked because she has previously worked for them, under Kofi Annan.
She has also represented Yulia Tymoshenko, former PM of Ukraine. She was very vocal ie giving soundbites to news organisation at Ukraine’s uprising and subsequent release of Yulia.
@LAK: absolutely agree but the most important (sadly ) word here is “was” since then she is just one amongst a dozen on the Julian Assange case and not even part of the more prominent ones on this case , but she is the more “in the press” which makes me quite uncomfortable regarding her work, there are dozens if not hundreds of way more qualified international lawyers but oddly we hear just about her…
And besides I don’t think she would even be considered as a possible member of the delegation (as said there are way more specialized lawyers) as in general they chose lawyers who are also well regarded academics ( the ones who can actually mold the jurisprudence with having both an empirical experience and a doctrinal perspective….and are specialist of the middle-east at the same time…
I think it’s just a rumor set to put her in bigger shoes than the ones she walks in
Not surprised she turned it considering how it could affect George’s career.
That’s exactly it. I think Georgie talked her out of it. There’s no way the UN didn’t consult her before they made the announcement. So it’s clear that she initially accepted and then changed her mind. Hollywood would not have forgiven Georgie for any criticism of Israel. And if indeed that has been the sequence of events, then she’s a coward.
You’re correct. George decides what cases she takes from now on.
Her cases are probably long-term, so I doubt her time off affects much.
Eight ongoing cases or not, I guess she just has other priorities, and it’s not done with a visit to Gaza. Only after that, the real work starts. She knows that, and she doesn’t want to go public with her opinion on this conflict. Like many others, she’s afraid it will harm her, or her future husband’s, career. Interested in human rights only when it suits her, it’s that simple.
Isn’t Amal Lebanese? I would think her sympathy with Palestine is a given and assumed – she says as much. I think George likes that she is a counterpoint to the status quo in Hollywood. It goes along with his politics very well.
Yes, she is Lebanese. But if she would participate in this UN-job, she would have to publicly talk about the conflict a lot, sooner or later- I think she wants to prevent that. This would have been a real chance for her to actually DO something good, but she obviously prefers to represent the likes of Abdallah Al Senussi, Gaddafi’s ex-intelligence chief.
@Siri, How would it hurt her career if she took it? In fact is would be more hurtful to her career to turn it down. If she wanted to become a Queen’s Council in about another 10 years, turning down cases could work against her in the selection process. To get to Queen’s Council, they have to apply then their entire cases and career is looked at. It is very hard and for a foreign born woman rack up the odds against x 10. Please note, this application is not like being made a partner at a firm. This is a Government board who decide
Thinking that these kinds of lawyers prefer to defend the likes of Abdallah Al Senussi, isn’t how International Law works. Abdallah Al Senussi did not choose his lawyers, the Queen’s Council (or an equivalent leading lawyer) is assigned then they choose the people they want for the case. They are paid depending on whether the accused has money or not. Gadafi’s son has no money, his lead lawyer is British so the British tax payer picks up the bill. Abdallah Al Senussi has money, so his bill is paid by him or his family.
Amal was chosen to be on the case by Ben Emmerson QC who she worked with during the case of Julian Assange. Rodney Dixon QC and Anthony Kelly were also selected by Ben Emmerson QC
@SuePerb: I understand she was chosen- but she could have declined, like she did now. In the end, nobody can force her to take on an assignment, so it remains a personal choice.
And the Alamuddins seemingly want to appear less extremist. Make no mistake — this is an arranged marriage. The truth will come out, eventually.
I wonder if George tries to give her advice on her career…
Amal can’t be part of an independent investigation team if she’s strongly biased, which has been alleged. I believe she’s actually recusing herself using the “eight cases” as a red herring to avoid the inevitable questions.
I kind of look at it like, with where her life is right now, she wouldn’t want to be a distraction from the central issue.
I mean, if she and George had married last fall and the dust was settled, it may be different but now? I could see her not wanting her personal hoopla distracting from the real tragedy going on in Palestine.
Love the heels in picture number three!
Kaiser, I love what you wrote here. Such a rock and a hard place. Such decisions. It was lovely to have a laugh this morning.
So she issues public statement now? Looks like she’s loving every minute and getting very comfortable with all the attention she’s getting from being the future Mrs. Clooney. Ah, the perks of dating Clooney.
Oh please, she has done ONE statement because people where speculating about her going and she wanted to correct them. ONE STATEMENT
Isreal going to do what it has to do to survive and protect its citizens, whether Amal,the intelligent and beautiful human rights lawyer and George Clooney’s fiance, is on some UN committee or not. The UN and the United States have little say or power on what is going on between Hamas and Isreal. Also, she needs a lot of time to prep for the wedding event and extended honeymoon of the year.
@Lowercaselois: except when there are more than 2000 civilians killed opposed to “just” 70 military, it is not clearly “defense” , plus with 69 ignored UN resolutions Israel has to face, like any other country its responsibilities , particularly war crimes (bombing schools, hospitals etc, is forbidden by the Geneva convention)
Example: Irak violated 2 resolutions and they got war for that!
Israel violated 69 and so it is normal that EU and US demand explanations, so the US and UE have every right ( and power) to conduct the investigation.
Plus EU and US invest ginormous amount of money (both for economics and military) in Israel and so explanations and taking their responsibilities is the very least they can do… like any other country on the planet
Agree @Truthful!
@Truthful the US won’t challenge Isreal or sanction them, because Isreal is one of the few allies the US has in the Middle East. Also, the US won’t give up sending money to Isreal because of Isreals Military Technology . The reason the US invests heavily into the Isreal’s dome, because it is a testing ground for the US Military. Matter of a fact since this conflict began, Isreals technology companies are doing very well in the stock market. If you look at the history of the UN they have had really very little power over Isreal, because of its anti-Isreal stance. This has forced Isreal to stand alone and protect itself. I think Isreal has the right to defend itself. Sorry so many people have died in this conflict. If Hamas invested more money into schools, businesses, hospitals and the Palestinian people and less into their tunnels and purchasing of weapons this conflict might have not taken place. If Isreal wanted to, it has the military power to level all of Gaza City and kill much more people, but it has not.
@lowercaselois: your long answer, is just a poorly formed overused propaganda (seen and re-seen on every Israel thread, without any really reliable point)…. but despite its length it fails to deny that Israel is:
A-not in violation with the International laws and
B- not perpetrating a genocide….
So you are implicitly admitting that both of these points are true…and sorry but no reason in the world , no justification can coldly and cynically justify the killing of innocent people.
“If you look at the history of the UN they have had really very little power over Isreal, because of its anti-Isreal stance.”
You should be way more respectful of the UN… Its a UN resolution that has created Israel (how can that be anti-Israel?????)…so they had a lot of power and if credit has to be given to this specific resolution , then maybe Israel should respect all the others , otherwise why other countries would have to respect this very resolution that has created israel?
Respect of international laws is no cherry picking everything has to be respected, that’s the condition to be considered a democratic country…
ps: at some point Israel should realize that it’s not the entire international community and the UN that are anti-Israel… maybe it’s just Israel that behaves in a way that is anti-international community. The whole world is seeing the same thing, you cannot ditch all of them by pretending they are blind.
Agree once again @Truthful!
Very well said, Truthful!
I agree with everything you said Truthful except the part the US wants this. The US does not want it and vetoed the commission as they do with everything that is about Israel
I don’t blame her. not just her current profile but the fact that she is of Lebanese descent puts her at risk for simply setting foot in israel-occupied land-she’d be a target. we all know how israel feels about the UN. I’m sure george didn’t want her there too.
Human Rights Attorney Barbie here seems to take an awful lot of vacations and pap walks for someone with eight pressing cases. She’s not planning that wedding anyway, they’ve hired someone for that (I’m sure). I’m calling shenanigans on her career; I don’t think she is (or ever really was) all that invested in her work. At the very least, if she was, she hasn’t been since the moment Clooney put a ring on it.
she already accepted in the 1st place, why UN commission published the article that she was part of the three member of UN commission inquiry on Gaza, u don’t put the name of person in an article before consultation. I think George PR find it that it was a bad move because this will have harm his image in Hollywood. I think in the future it will be difficult for her to choose her cases, she have to think 1st George image before she accept any cases
How does she not act as if she is working? I don’t understand why people label such comments at her? Its not like we see her all the time. Also preparing a forthcoming case could be done everywhere. Its a bit disappointing that there is an attempt by this site to paint her as a person who doesn’t work anymore, when really we see very little of her.
the commentary on her has been really sexist and discouraging. constantly belittled for her choice in clothes and men. and implying that because she walks sometimes or does regular everyday things that she’s not working.
I completely agree. I find the vitriol against her to be quite bizarre. We’ve seen her walking in a few pap photos and automatically that means she’s quitting her job and isn’t a “serious lawyer”? People haven’t heard of iPads or laptops?
What I don’t understand is why the UN stated in the affirmative that Amal was going to be part of that observation team in Gaza on their website. It was still there even after Amal issued this denial. Did the UN jump the gun and assume she’d accept? Or did she accept the offer initially and then withdraw? The third possibility, which I really hope isn’t true, is that the UN was using her name on their website for publicity because they knew her (now famous) name would draw press attention to their investigation efforts.
It look like initially accept the position but after most entertainment news report that she was part of the team, because is not something that tabloid report in daily bases is politic and don’t care most of the time, it was 1st report by association press which is reputable outlet, u don’t report something like that if is not true, I think she got scare at the end and turn down position, and UN commission wouldn’t put her name in the statement if she did refuse 1st, I think it’s shame because she is a human right lawyer she have the right to defend any one that why she began a lawyer
Fourth possibility: she got a call from George.
Amal is a junior level partner — of which there are nearly a hundred at her level at Doughty Street Chambers alone. How many of those lawyers have been vacationing for long periods in Africa, Washington DC, New York, LA, Mexico and Italy in the past several months? I doubt many.
So while she may be e-mailing and Skyping some work in, this is hardly typical for someone at her level in the legal profession and it most certainly gives the impression of a dilettante. If she was senior level legal partner it would be a little more acceptable — given that she would have already paid some serious dues — and, if she ran her own business, it would not be an issue at all since if you are an independent executive you call the shots exclusively.
She remains, however, the equivalent of a junior level law partner — others of which are hard at work interacting with their legal teams in person while she vacations regularly. So these are valid work ethic issues and preferential treatment issues — not gender issues or issues for those who are unaware of facts or reality — because the facts and reality of that ludicrous vacation schedule over the past several months speaks for itself.
Please learn the difference between UK and USA legal systems before making the comparison you just did, particularly what exactly a barrister is. Google is your friend.
I partially went to grad school in the UK and am quite familiar with what a barrister is and that there are some differences between a barrister and an attorney.
None of those differences change the fact that the legal profession is a highly collaborative one.
They could send Peter Mackays wife – but, snap, the Canadian Military equipment is only used for fishing trips for local politicians. Stevies eatin lotsa salmon this year 🙂
Peter’s wife is too busy doing wifely things like laundrey, changing diapers washing floors. Isn’t that what women are for in Peter’s world?
HA – Good one:)
If this is true, and she was asked to be a part of this UN commission, what the hell is she doing with Clooney? I like Clooney, but this really is an odd match. I know he has done humanitarian work in the Darfur region, but he is just trying to bring publicity to it, which would be his area.
He is not fundamentally changing international policy. This commission would be trying, for the umpteenth time, to not only deal with war crimes but the Palestinian/Israeli conflict. Sort of above his pay grade to say the least.
Does he talk about his latest Groucho Marks penis prank while she talks about the Arab Spring?
Now if the publicity is getting her more prominent job offers, I guess I could see it , or maybe love, but again a man who was married waited over twenty years to do it again, slept with some interesting and a lot of women, and said he didn’t ever want to get married again is a real catch and definitely marriage material. I give a year.
I don’t think he’s the worst match. He comes off as a mature and considerate person. He’s good-looking, rich and eager to marry her. What’s not to like?
I’ll give you considerate, very good looking and rich. Other than considerate not a top qualities for a lasting marriage. However, the mature part not so sure about he seems like an overgrown frat boy to me sometimes. The eager to marry her, I don’t know, maybe not for the right reasons. The man hasn’t been eager to marry for decades so what changed and could it be fleeting like his marriage number 1. If she really is some high powered human rights lawyer not sure what they have in common.
I never heard of her before Clooney. Is she really that ” high-powered” a lawyer?
(Edited to add this isn’t directed at anyone or the comments here – just the thought that popped into my head while reading and thought I’d share).
Staying away from this chat mainly because I love a good debate but a celeb blog is rarely the right place for it. However one of the best things I have read lately is “how to criticize Israel without being anti-semetic” and “how to criticize Palestine without being racist.” Really should be required reading.
http://this-is-not-jewish.tumblr.com/post/34344324495/how-to-criticize-israel-without-being-anti-semitic
http://this-is-not-jewish.tumblr.com/post/35969286556/how-to-support-israel-without-being-racist
I think he gets the spirit right.
Wow, sounds like she’s the real deal – not every high profile lawyer would even be considered for something like that. Congrats anyway!
It seems that many people either don’t know or don’t realize how prevalent telecommuting/work from home/remote employment is becoming in regards to white collar careers. Many people in the fields of communication, technology, business, education, design, sales, and even law have the ability to work full time on their careers from anywhere in the world/timezone as long as there is an internet connection. To make a long story short, unless your job requires you to grab and hold something that isnt a computer keyboard, writing or drawing tool, or a book, you can telecommute.
Hell, you can audition for acting roles online. There are doctors that also diagnose online via skype for non-serious conditions. Secretaries and administrative support can work from home (virtual assistants).
College professors can teach online…
Times are changing…very rarely are people absolutely required to physically work in an office to do their jobs…those that do either work in corporate situations with old world mentality or are required to have tactile interaction with a person or physical product.
In fact, I have been using the Internet for twenty years and it is very helpful to white collar folks. Thanks for that update. Now, I’d appreciate it if you’d name all the prominent legal firms in the US and/or Great Britain known for their regularly telecommuting, work from home attorneys/barristers. Lol.
One of my friends is a partner at a prominent firm and works from home one day a week because she has very young twins. That is the exception rather than the rule and it was very difficult for her to negotiate. And anyone who wants a realistic sense regarding the prevailing thought re: work from home attorneys, it is played out on this season’s The Good Wife where a character who sends her robo-Skype into the office in her place is derided and laughed at because it runs all over the place bashing into walls while they are trying to do important things, like, I dunno, have partners’ meetings?
Barristers in the UK have more technical freedom in terms of being somewhat independent contractors, but that does not mean that there are no professional standards and expectations and I wouldn’t be the slightest bit surprised if Amal’s colleagues are laughing at her like the robo-Skype attorney on The Good Wife, because her professional role and roll is just that laughable from a high powered, top dollar billing perspective. And, yes, that’s without even beginning to address the Hello Kitty attire.
Well my brother is a partner in a very well known intellectual property law firm in the US and his office (as well as a few other partners) is in his home. He only drops by his office unless he absolutely has to. He makes great use of couriers, virtual assistants, and VOIP meetings. I will not name his firm because I choose to stay anonymous. If that hasnt been your experience, then clearly that’s your reality.
I was telecommuting for years. First while working in the entertainment industry in publicity and then in casting. I have worked in offices in the corporate world and eventually as faster internet connections become the norm, from remote offices.
I’m no longer in entertainment and currently in an industry where that’s not very common and rather slow to catch up, so my full-time telecommuting days are semi-over. I miss them though. There’s a certain kind of freedom involved with that. It doesn’t mean you work or earn less, it’s just that other than scheduled voip meetings or conference calls, your work hours are completely flexible.
Telecommuting was the next “big thing” circa 2005. It never took hold the way it was supposed to. These days, most people who work in offices still go to offices most of the week. In fact, there has been a move away from telecommuting in many industries lately.
I don’t know that any of this really pertains to Amal’s situation, which is unique, to say the least.
I still don’t think she’s working that much. She has probably adjusted her case load way down, which is certainly her perogative.
This woman is not going to be good for George if he embarks on a political career in the USA.
She has too much politically that can be used against George.
The opposition will pick her past law cases apart.
Her past client list can be used as a lightening rod.
She needs to wear better tailored clothes.
Maybe Amal drummed up this as another way to draw attention away from she really does not work. Her and her mom called up the paps so how can she be so busy working if they are arranging pap shots. I read somewhere that Amal stopped working and collecting money from George. So this was just a indirect way to shoot down that talk. If you ask me, it just shows how true it really is, that she is collecting off of George. I think her career was over inflated by George’s people, and there is no way to recuperate from that. She is not that more than the previous women he has been with. She allowed George and his people to make her look like the fool that she probably is. So where do they go from here? Maybe under a rock.