Oxford's Miriam Margolyes: 'I'm not anti-Jewish, I'm anti-killing children'
The actress, who was born and grew up in the city, is well known to audiences around the world after starring as Professor Sprout in several of the Harry Potter films.
Ms Margolyes was awarded an OBE in 2002 for services to drama, but there have been recent calls for this to be taken back.
The 84-year-old, who is Jewish, recently spoke to The Big Issue about Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
READ MORE: Miriam Margolyes blasts 'chickens**t' calls to take away OBE
Miriam Margolyes was born in Oxford.
She said that it reminded her of the Holocaust and added: 'The terrible thing I face is that Hitler won.
"He changed us, made us like him.'
The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) has responded to Ms Margolyes' remarks and has labelled them as 'repugnant'.
A statement from the CAA said: "The fact she was born Jewish does not give her license to use her immense platform to spread anti-Jewish venom.
READ MORE:
'This has to be the end of the road. She must be shunned by the showbiz world that has fawned and bowed until now.'
Ms Margolyes, who is performing at the Edinburgh Fringe, has now hit back at the claims, stating that she is not anti-Jewish.
"I'm not antisemitic, I'm anti-killing children," she said, as reported by Edinburgh Live.
"I am criticising the Israeli government. But I am also criticising the Jewish people in the UK, the community that I belong to, which is not coming out in support of me.
"I just want people not to kill each other."
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