Recent reports have raised concerns about amendments to wording in the British Museum’s Ancient Levant gallery relating to references to Palestine. While statements from the Museum’s leadership suggest that terminology was adjusted during a routine gallery refresh to reflect historical terms, questions remain about how and why these changes were made.

Given that the request for changes came from the UK Lawyers for Israel, even minor alterations to Palestine references carry significant weight. The British Museum is one of the world’s most respected cultural institutions. It has a responsibility to ensure that its presentation of history is transparent, academically rigorous and free from undue external influence.

We are calling on the British Museum to provide full clarity regarding the recent wording changes, including what was amended, the scholarly basis for those amendments and whether any external representations influenced the review process.