We Believe in Israel is appalled by the National Portrait Gallery’s decision to feature a portrait of Nelly Adam, also known as Queen Niche, despite the unmistakable antisemitic undertones of her social media activity. This choice is not just tone-deaf but emblematic of a broader malaise infecting cultural institutions—a willingness to turn a blind eye to antisemitism under the guise of promoting ‘diverse voices’.

Let us be clear: the issue at hand is not about artistic freedom or political discourse but a matter of basic decency and the rejection of prejudice. Queen Niche’s public platforms have amplified rhetoric that any responsible institution would categorically reject. Among the highlights of her online activity are the following:

• Comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany—comparisons that trivialise the Holocaust and fall squarely within the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.
• The historically baseless claim that “Jesus was a Palestinian,” a grotesque distortion of history that erases the Jewish identity of a figure central to Christianity and Judaism alike.
• Retweets of the disgraced academic David Miller, whose vile insinuations about Jewish power and influence have no place in civilised discourse.
• Support for the genocidal chant “From the River to the Sea,” a rallying cry widely understood as a call for the destruction of the world’s only Jewish state and the annihilation of its inhabitants.

This is not the behaviour of someone deserving public celebration. It is the behaviour of someone who uses their platform to stoke division, propagate historical falsehoods, and normalise antisemitic rhetoric.

The National Portrait Gallery’s role is not merely to display works of art but to shape the cultural narrative of Britain. By featuring Queen Niche, the gallery is not just making an error of judgment—it is engaging in the tacit endorsement of hate. One wonders if such indulgence would be extended to individuals who shared similarly vile rhetoric about other ethnic or religious groups.

We call on the National Portrait Gallery to reconsider its decision. This is not about silencing dissent but about refusing to legitimise hatred. We further urge the gallery to consult with Jewish organisations and community leaders to understand why such rhetoric is profoundly offensive and antithetical to the principles of inclusion and mutual respect.

Britain’s cultural institutions must stand for more than fashionable causes or social media trends. They must stand for truth, decency, and the rejection of hatred in all its forms. To do otherwise is not just a betrayal of their Jewish constituents but a betrayal of Britain’s moral fabric.