More than 200 artists and cultural organizations have called on the British Museum to cease actions that they perceive as erasing Palestine. This appeal follows the museum’s modification of certain wall texts in its Middle East Galleries, reportedly due to pressure from a pro-Israel group. Among the signatories of the letter, addressed to the museum’s trustees, is musician and visual artist Brian Eno. The letter criticizes the museum’s past associations with the Israeli embassy and British Petroleum (BP), which is alleged to benefit from Israel’s actions in Gaza.
The British Museum has refuted claims that it removed references to ‘Palestine’ from its galleries. However, UK Lawyers for Israel has publicly stated that their lobbying efforts resulted in the museum changing display texts. According to the group, one such alteration involved replacing ‘Palestinian descent’ with ‘Canaanite descent’ in the museum’s Egypt galleries, following a review request about terms related to Israel. Last year, legal groups in the UK accused the pro-Israel organization of engaging in baseless actions aimed at suppressing Palestine solidarity initiatives.
First reported by Novara, the open letter describes the alleged changes as part of a broader effort to erase the concept of Palestine. It accuses the museum of complicity in genocide. The letter has been signed by groups including Artists and Culture Workers London, Jewish Artists for Palestine, and Archaeologists Against Apartheid. In response to a Hyperallergic inquiry, the British Museum stated that some labels and maps in the Middle East galleries had been revised to reflect ancient cultural regions, which they claim is more apt for the southern Levant during the later second millennium BCE.
After these display modifications became public, the Palestinian Forum in Britain shared an image of a museum wall text that describes the Levant region as including ‘Jordan, Israel, Gaza, West Bank, and western Syria,’ but omits the term Palestine. The open letter emphasizes that Palestinians did not consent to the removal of their cultural heritage, with the museum holding numerous Palestinian artifacts, some of which are on display. The museum has yet to respond to Hyperallergic regarding the letter.
The signatories have presented several demands, including the commissioning of an expert review of labels concerning Palestinian artifacts and an apology for hosting a private event for the Israeli embassy. The letter also calls for the museum to stop supporting the Israeli government and those profiting from actions in Palestine, urging them to address the historical harm caused by British colonialism. Eno, a prominent supporter of the pro-Palestine movement, plans to auction an artwork titled ‘Seeing Through to Sky’ (2025) to benefit Palestinian humanitarian organizations, with contributions from artists like Nan Goldin and Es Devlin, to be exhibited at Hope 93 Gallery in London.
