UK Politicians Call For Investigation of British Museum’s Removal of ‘Palestine’ from Display
UK politicians from multiple parties called for an independent investigation into the British Museum’s removal of the terms “Palestine,” “Palestinian,” and “Israelite occupation” from some displays after a Middle East Eye report linked the changes to lobbying by pro-Israel groups. The museum said it altered displays in February after “audience testing” found “Palestine” to be “no longer meaningful,” but Middle East Eye reported that Freedom of Information disclosures showed no such audience testing or visitor research had been conducted. Redacted internal emails reportedly indicate the changes followed complaints from pro-Israel organizations and individuals between October and December 2024, including a complaint from the Board of Deputies; in one instance, a display change was initiated less than five hours after a complaint circulated internally. MPs including Jeremy Corbyn, Green Party MP Sian Berry, and Labour MP Richard Burgon urged an urgent independent inquiry, while ARTnews reported the British Museum did not respond to its requests for comment on the allegations.
From This Briefing
This story was covered in Lost Masters, Looted Legacies, and Monument Rollbacks