In one post, she shared a picture of a sign that read: “Never again seems only to be for white people.”
Another read: “[During] WW2 the world came together to spot a Holocaust. 2024 the world came together to commit one.”
And a sign shared by Adam claimed that more children are killed on an average day in Gaza (139) than were in Auschwitz (127).
Other images on her social media show Adam carrying a bloodied baby doll.
Jewish charity Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) condemned the gallery, which is publically funded by the UK taxpayer, for displaying her photo.
CAA said Adam “should be the last person to have a portrait hung in the National Portrait Gallery”.
The campaign group also pointed to a retweet from Adam where she shared a post from disgraced professor David Miller about the “Zionist regime”.
According to CAA, another post shared by Adam claimed that “Jesus was Palestinian”.
Adam’s picture appears with 61 other images in the National Portrait Gallery exhibition.
Members of the public have been invited to vote for a photograph in the “People’s pick” show.
The image was taken by Broughton as part of a series of three photographs of pro-Palestinian Welsh activists.
Broughton described Adam as “a motivational public speaker, lead on race council Cymru’s Zero Racism Wales, BLM advocate, human rights activist to stop Islamophobia and Unison officer”.
He added: “Nelly stands with all.
"You can find Nelly raising her voice for those facing violence and genocide in Palestine.”
Speaking about the photograph, Adam said: “To become a nation of sanctuary we must rise for those in oppression... If oppression is upon one, oppression is upon all.”
Responding to the controversy, the National Portrait Gallery told the JC: The portrait entitled Nelly aka Queen Niche is one of 62 photographs currently on display in a temporary ticketed exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. Works displayed in this exhibition do not form part of the Gallery’s Collection.
“The photographs chosen for the annual Photo Portrait Prize competition are selected by a panel of judges, on an anonymous basis, based on the artistic merit of the photograph.
“The National Portrait Gallery never intends to cause offence to any individuals or communities and we are committed to equality and inclusion for all.”
The JC approached Adam for comment.
