London Arts Leader Steps Down After Uproar Over Comments on Jews

After months of public criticism, protest letters, and political clashes, Misan Harriman announced that he will step down from his role as chair of London’s Southbank Centre, a major cultural institution that also works with the local Jewish community. 

Misan Harriman is a photographer and activist who has served as Southbank chair since 2021. During his tenure, he became a prominent figure in the British cultural world, but also one of its most controversial, mainly because of his political statements on social media. 

About two months ago, Harriman drew sharp criticism from Jewish voices after making controversial remarks about the terror attack in London’s Golders Green neighborhood. In the attack, carried out by a Somali terrorist with a criminal record, two Jews were seriously injured. 

Harriman complained that media outlets around the world focused on the attack on the Jews, while barely mentioning that a Muslim man had also been stabbed earlier. Criticism of him intensified even more after the local elections in Britain, when the right-wing Reform UK party won more than 1,400 votes. The party includes Jewish members and supporters, and even established a group called Reform Jewish Alliance to reach out to Jewish voters. 

In response, Harriman published a video in which he said that the first thing that came to mind was a statement by American writer Susan Sontag about the Holocaust. According to him, Sontag wrote that "about ten percent of people will be cruel in any situation, about ten percent will be compassionate in any situation, and the remaining eighty percent can be influenced and swept in either direction." Harriman added that, in his view, this is a profound idea that he believes is also relevant to the results of the most recent elections.

(צילום: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

"An Inappropriate and Irresponsible Comparison"

Harriman’s critics argued that he was hinting at a comparison between the growing strength of Reform UK and the period leading up to the rise of the Nazis in Germany. They said that comparison was inappropriate and irresponsible. His criticism of the party argued that it represents troubling political trends, but while his critics said the comparisons he used were extreme and inappropriate, his supporters said he was simply expressing concern over the strengthening of the right in Britain.

Members of Parliament, public figures, and various organizations called on Harriman to resign, arguing that the chair of a public cultural institution cannot engage in such highly charged political discourse, especially on sensitive issues such as antisemitism and the Holocaust. They argued that his social media activity had damaged public trust in the cultural center.

One group that welcomed the resignation announcement was Campaign Against Antisemitism, which works to fight antisemitism worldwide. In a statement, the organization said that over the years Harriman had made inflammatory remarks that raised doubts about his suitability to lead a public cultural institution. The group also stressed that cultural institutions should be a safe and inclusive place for the entire public, including Jews, and not an arena for political clashes that could leave some visitors feeling excluded or threatened.

Southbank’s leadership sought to clarify that Harriman’s departure was not the result of the public uproar. In a statement given to The Guardian, it said that Harriman had already informed the vice chair in January of this year that he would not seek a third term and that he would leave his role in the fall of 2026. According to the statement, the process of choosing his successor has already begun, and more details are expected to be published after the center’s general assembly in July.