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Southbank chief in fresh row over 'anti-Semitic' conspiracy theory - The Telegraph

telegraph.co.uk

When a cultural institution's leader amplifies age-old anti-Semitic tropes, it reveals how conspiracy theories exploit social identity cues to spread through elite networks.

Conspiracy TheorySocial Identity TheoryElite Network EffectsScapegoating

Theory Briefing

  • Southbank Centre chair Misan Harriman reposted a claim that Kushner and Ivanka Trump are selling Albanian coastline to 'Jewish billionaires,' recycling a classic ethnic-scapegoat trope.
  • The incident illustrates how conspiracy theories gain credibility by attaching familiar prejudices to real political figures, making them harder to dismiss outright.
  • Harriman's prominence as a public arts leader shows how elite social capital can inadvertently launder fringe narratives into mainstream discourse.