Actress Miriam Margolyes appears to suggest “Jews and blacks” are stingy

Actress Miriam Margolyes has been caught on film appearing to suggest that “Jews and blacks” are stingy. The film, exposed by The Sun, shows Margolyes at an autograph signing event at which fans were charged £5 for a signed photograph with various stars. Some fans were taking photographs on their smartphones, prompting Margolyes, who appears in the Harry Potter films to jeer “can’t you afford five quid?” She then pointed at a black man and said: “Jews and blacks, they get a discount.”

A fan who filmed the incident said she thought Margolyes, who is Jewish “was being racist” and that she “singled out” and “humiliated” the black fan. It is unclear whether recognisably Jewish fans were also taking photographs. A spokesman for Margolyes told The Sun: “Miriam’s comments were made in jest and she would be mortified if anyone took offence.”

Last year, Margolyes said in an interview in The Telegraph that “nobody likes Jews”, blaming antisemitism on Israel. She explained: “People understandably and correctly associate Israel with Jews and Jews are killing people. Innocent people. And the Jewish community thinks it’s OK because they say that the Palestinians want to destroy Israel. And some of them do, that’s quite true, so they feel it’s alright to treat them in the way that they’re being treated. But I don’t think it is. I just can’t bear to see it.” According to the International Definition of Antisemitism, “Manifestations [of antisemitism] might include the targeting of the state of Israel, conceived as a Jewish collectivity” and “Holding Jews collectively responsible for actions of the state of Israel” is antisemitic.