Miriam Margolyes says being born Jewish has affected her whole life

Actress and comedian Miriam Margolyes says being Jewish has affected her whole life and that she thinks the world has never been worse than it is now. Speaking at Hay Festival, Margolyes reflected on her upbringing, identity, antisemitism, and the polarised state of politics. The 85-year-old said she thinks about Gaza "every single day when I get up", arguing that Jewish people "must hold themselves to higher standard". Margolyes has faced criticism from members of the Jewish community for previous remarks, including in an interview about Gaza when she accused Israel of behaving like Nazi Germany. Speaking at the Hay Festival in Powys, Margolyes, who was born in Oxford, said: "I was born Jewish and I think that affects your whole life - what your parents teach you and what you learn from the community you live in." Reflecting on her upbringing, she described her mother as coming from a "criminal immigrant family", saying she was branded "vulgar, lower middle class, socially a climber". "But she loved me and brought me up with good morals and good attitudes," she said. Margolyes also spoke warmly about her love of Jewish food, saying: "Chopped liver, now it's not good for you, but i