Families of Hamas hostages blame 'cancel culture' for figures including Michelle Obama staying silent on their plight despite previously rallying to the cause of captured Nigerian schoolgirls
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Families of hostages in Gaza have blamed 'cancel culture' for the silence of prominent women on the matter of their release.
A 'Bring Back Our Girls' campaign has been launched for 19 women who remain in captivity, in a nod to the slogan that called for the return of girls taken by Boko Haram jihadists ten years ago.
Feminist icons, including former First Lady Michelle Obama and actress Angelina Jolie, previously rallied to the cause of the captured Nigerians.
But aside from UK figures including Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt and Countdown maths whizz Rachel Riley, the A-listers who fell over each other to pose with 'Bring Back Our Girls' signs in 2014 have stayed silent.
![First Lady Michelle Obama previously rallied to the cause of the captured Nigerians](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/07/22/82185447-13171099-image-m-36_1709850515921.jpg)
First Lady Michelle Obama previously rallied to the cause of the captured Nigerians
![But aside from UK figures including Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt, the A-listers who fell over each other to pose with 'Bring Back Our Girls' signs in 2014 have stayed silent](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/07/22/82185451-13171099-image-m-35_1709850509949.jpg)
But aside from UK figures including Commons Leader Penny Mordaunt, the A-listers who fell over each other to pose with 'Bring Back Our Girls' signs in 2014 have stayed silent
![Naama Levy, who still remains in captivity](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/07/22/82058645-13171099-Naama_Levy_As_the_ceasefire_talks_in_Cairo_are_set_to_run_down_t-a-43_1709850950157.jpg)
![Agam Berger, who is still in captivity](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/03/07/22/82058737-13171099-Agam_Berger_Diplomats_this_week_are_crashing_out_a_ceasefire_agr-m-42_1709850941576.jpg)
Naama Levy (L) and Agam Berger (R) were snatched and remain in captivity
Gili Roman, 39, whose sister-in-law Carmel Gat, also 39, is among the 19 female captives, said: 'I am 100 per cent sure that Michelle Obama thinks it is wrong to take hostages.
'So the only question is why doesn't she talk about it?
'What I've learned from my visits in the US is the level of cancel culture. It's basically a bullying tactic to keep people quiet, and it works.'
Ashley Waxman Bakshi, 38, whose 19-year-old cousin Agam Berger is a captive, also told of her pain over celebrities ignoring their cause.
'It's disappointing, frustrating and actually frightening to see the hypocrisy of celebrities worldwide,' she said.
'They were quick to recognise that it's never OK to kidnap innocent people when it was done in Nigeria, but continue to fail to condemn it when it is done to Israelis.'
The image of the former First Lady holding a banner helped send the 2014 campaign viral.
But her response to the hostage crisis in Gaza has disappointed many Israeli families.
Yoni Levy, 52, whose daughter Naama was snatched on October 7, has previously spoken of his anguish, given that the 19-year-old idolises Mrs Obama.
He told the New York Post: 'Why has she, and all these other famous women Naama looked up to, and all of the human rights organisations she believed in, stayed silent about what has happened to my Naama and all the other girls?'
Ms Mordaunt yesterday told Parliament: 'We cannot let these poor women and girls suffer what they must be suffering a moment longer.'
Ms Riley also shared the slogan online to mark 150 days since the kidnappings.
Hamas yesterday announced it was withdrawing from ceasefire talks as it stuck to demands for Israel to withdraw from Gaza.