DayofPal—Cross-party British MPs have called for an independent investigation into the British Museum after it removed references to “Palestine,” “Palestinian,” and “Israelite occupation.”
The removal of these terms from the exhibits came after lobbying efforts by pro-Israel activists in late 2024.
Green MP Sian Berry, Labour MP Richard Burgon, and Your Party MP Jeremy Corbyn said the reported changes raise serious concerns about political interference, historical erasure, and transparency after the erasure took place.
Berry said the findings were “deeply troubling” and warned that yielding to political pressure undermines the museum’s credibility.
Corbyn described the changes as “anti-Palestinian racism” and an attack on academic freedom.
The museum previously claimed the changes were based on audience testing, but freedom of information responses obtained by MEE reportedly found no evidence that such testing had taken place.
Internal emails suggest museum staff responded rapidly to complaints from pro-Israel individuals and the Board of Deputies of British Jews, including objections to the phrase “Israelite occupation.”
The British Museum has not committed to an independent investigation. It maintains that it has not removed the term “Palestine” entirely and cliames the term still appears in several galleries.
Palestinian Ambassador to the UK Husam Zomlot said the reported erasure of Palestinian history is especially significant amid Israel’s war on Gaza, while Berry argued that removing references to Palestine during “the destruction of Palestinian people and heritage is particularly alarming.”
UNESCO has verified damage to at least 164 cultural and historical sites in the Gaza Strip since October 2023, placing the museum controversy within the broader context of concerns over the preservation of Palestinian history and cultural heritage.
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