Whenever Miriam Margolyes makes the headlines, it's usually because she's said something borderline offensive or off-colour.
The 'Harry Potter' actress was recently in the news, for example after suggesting that adult fans of the wizarding franchise should 'grow up', while other recent eyebrow-raising comments including recounting the time when Arnold Schwarzenegger apparently farted in her face.
Now, however, Margolyes has used her platform for humanitarian means after taking part in a campaign that calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where the death toll has risen to over 33,000 people in the last six months.
The British-Australian actress, who is Jewish, released a video over the weekend via the Jewish Council of Australia that saw the 83-year-old say: "I have never been so ashamed of Israel as I am at this moment. To me, it seems as if Hitler has won.
"He’s changed us Jews from being compassionate and caring and do unto others as you would have them do unto you into this vicious genocidal nationalist nation, pursuing and killing women and children."
She condemned the Hamas attacks on October 7th, but urged all Jews to "shout, beg, scream for a ceasefire" and said that what had transpired in Gaza since October was "shocking, embarrassing and wicked and I cannot understand why all Jewish people, particularly members of synagogues do not want immediately to stop what is going on."
See her full statement and watch the video below:
"Hello, I’m Miriam Margolyes, and I wanted to say something in support of the Jewish Council of Australia. I’m an Australian citizen. I’m 83 and I have never been so ashamed of Israel as I am at this moment. To me, it seems as if Hitler has won.
He’s changed us Jews from being compassionate and caring and do unto others as you would have them do unto you into this vicious genocidal nationalist nation, pursuing and killing women and children.
Of course, I condemn the Hamas action, of course I do. But what we are doing, Jewish people over in Israel, is shocking, embarrassing and wicked and I cannot understand why all Jewish people, particularly members of synagogues do not want immediately to stop what is going on.
And in the name of humanity, I call upon all Jews to shout, beg, scream for a ceasefire.
It is not anti-Semitic to have a different opinion on the wartime actions. Now we have to do as my mother used to say the right thing, the right thing is a ceasefire to stop the killing, certainly to beg and insist on the release of hostages. But there is an opinion about Israel’s actions, which is, it’s not anti-Semitic to voice what Israel is doing is wrong, it is wicked.
And if you want to say this is very bad for Israel, please call on your rabbis on your communities, on all the people, you know, to voice your disgust and detestation of the Israeli actions. Please. You are then doing the right thing and behaving in accordance to the Jewish tradition.
Thank you."
