Southbank arts chief faces fresh calls to resign over 'antisemitic' conspiracy theory

The chairman of the Southbank Centre is facing new calls to resign after being accused of sharing an allegedly “anti-semitic conspiracy theory" online.

Misan Harrison reposted a claim on Instagram that Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, who are both Jewish, were “selling off the Albanian coastline to Jewish billionaires and an Israeli military project.

The daughter and son-in-law of US President Donald Trump are in the process of building high-end resorts in Albania, with investment coming from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE.

Mr Harriman shared the post from an account called geopolitics._.7889, which has a history of posting antisemitic, pro-Russia, pro-Iran and pro-China content.

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The post showed a picture of a protest in Albania with the caption: “Over 100,000 Albanians shut down the capital in furious protests.

“Trump and Kushner are selling off the Albanian coastline to Jewish billionaires and an Israeli military project.”

Danny Cohen, a former director for the BBC, told the Telegraph: “This is yet another example of Misan Harriman’s appalling lack of judgment.

“It’s deeply troubling that someone leading a publicly funded institution would deem it appropriate to share such a blatantly anti-Semitic conspiracy theory.

“The Southbank Centre must no longer turn a blind eye to the mountain of evidence as to why Mr Harriman is unfit to be its chairman.

“If those who govern the Southbank fail to act, the Government should intervene.”

GB News has contacted The Southbank Centre for comment.

The fresh calls come just weeks after Mr Harriman sparked backlash for appearing to suggest there was a media "conspiracy" to make the Golders Green knife attack about the Jewish victims.

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He argued that there was no focus on a Muslim man who was allegedly stabbed by the same person in an incident earlier that day.

The comments prompted a letter calling for Mr Harriman to resign as chairman of the London cultural landmark.

The demand, from members of a group that included Mr Cohen, the author and historian Lord Roberts of Belgravia, David Kershaw, a former Southbank Centre trustee, and Neil Blair, JK Rowling’s agent, read: "It is time for him to go."

The signatories claimed the chairman was making "daily interventions on social media pushing a divisive political agenda" using his public platform.

His comments were also said to have breached "the commitment made by the Prime Minister and civil society groups that pledged to stand with the Jewish community after the recent Golders Green and Heaton Park attacks".

The group added: "All of this is hugely damaging to the reputation of the Southbank [which] is facing huge funding challenges to repair its crumbling concrete and outdated facilities.

“Harriman’s appointment was a misstep by an institution that requires serious leadership. It is time for him to go."

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