David Taylor, the Labour MP for Hemel Hempstead, said: “These posts are not only incredibly inappropriate for the chair of a charity board, but for anyone in the public eye.
“Antisemitism under the cover of solidarity with the Palestinian cause has been rife within the arts for too long, that needs to change now.
“In the spirit of the Prime Minister’s words this week, Arts Council England should reconsider their funding arrangement with the Southbank Centre, and the Southbank Centre should consider removing Mr Harriman from the board.”
For several years, the chairman has shared pro-Palestinian messages and content relating to the conflict in the Middle East on his social media platforms.
One video shared on his Instagram account was created by the social media contrarian Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, who previously criticised the Auschwitz Museum, dedicated to the infamous concentration camp, for an alleged “endorsement of Israel’s extermination, ethnic cleansing and genocide of Palestinians”.
The video claimed that synagogues in Britain were being used to sell “Palestinian land” as some kind of “immigration package” for Jews in the UK.
In another video shared on Mr Harriman’s Instagram, it was claimed that Israel was attempting to create a “Greater Israel” in Iran and across the Middle East militarily.
In the video, pro-Palestinian rapper Lowkey added that John F Kennedy was killed “the very same year he suggested the idea” of conducting nuclear weapons inspections in Israel.
Content shared on social media
Mr Harriman shared a post about Palestine Action activists arrested during a raid on Elbit Systems, an Israeli defence company, who were cleared of aggravated burglary in February.
The post stated: “These verdicts put to bed the deceitful accusations from ministers that these brave activists are ‘violent criminals’.” It added: “Lift the ban on Palestine Action.”
Four of the activists have since been found guilty of criminal damage, with one, Samuel Corner, convicted of inflicting grievous bodily harm after hitting Sgt Katie Evans with a sledgehammer, fracturing her spine.
Another video shared by Mr Harriman features him being interviewed and arguing that news coverage of the Middle East conflict should refer to Israel as “the occupying power”.
Other videos shared on Mr Harriman’s Instagram include a segment in which it is claimed that Nigel Farage is a “white supremacist”, and an interview with writer Afua Hirsch, in which she claims that Britain “basically did invent” slavery.
Mr Harriman has also joined the debate on a series of adverts for jeans starring Sydney Sweeney, the Hollywood actress, in which the punning tagline was that she had “good jeans”.
He wrote online: “Presuming that you are not a white supremacist, at least say how horrified you were by how this campaign was amplified and celebrated by unrepentant racists who believe in eugenics.
“At least recognise the harm your jeans campaign has caused black folk, the undertone of the campaign is that your genetics are superior to others.”
Before he was appointed the chairman of the board of governors, Mr Harriman was known for photographing social movements, including Black Lives Matter protests, and Extinction Rebellion campaigns.
In 2021, he took a photo of the Sussexes that the couple used to announce that they were expecting a baby. He had only begun photographing professionally three years before the snap, having previously worked in the City of London.
Mr Harriman has been contacted for comment.
