The Palestinian ambassador to the UK, Husam Zomlot, has called for Foreign Office intervention after the British Museum removed references to Palestine from its exhibits. The museum replaced the name “Palestine” with “Gaza and the West Bank” on a panel listing present-day countries of the ancient Levant, and removed “Palestinian” from some explanatory texts.
Zomlot described the changes as a historical “erasure” amid Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which several human rights organisations and a UN commission have deemed genocide. He met museum director Nicholas Cullinan on 24 March but was given no commitment to reverse the changes. In a letter on 9 April, Zomlot declined a tour until corrections are made.
The British Museum stated it has “not removed the term ‘Palestine’ from displays,” but photographic evidence shows otherwise. The name remains on some maps, such as those in the Egypt room. The museum has not explained its reasoning, though a pressure group, UK Lawyers for Israel, had objected to the use of “Palestine” in ancient contexts.
Zomlot has appealed to the Foreign Office, but a government spokesperson said museums operate independently. The changes predated the group’s letter and were reportedly made after audience testing showed the term “Palestine” was “no longer meaningful” in some contexts.
