More than 200 cultural figures have signed a letter urging the British Museum to show support for Palestinians, according to campaign group Culture Unstained. The letter follows reports that the British Museum has removed the word 'Palestine' from several gallery displays. UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLIF) raised concerns about references to Palestine, claiming this risked obscuring the history of Israel and the Jewish people. According to UKLIF, the museum has changed panels in its Egypt galleries to replace 'Palestinian descent' with 'Canaanite descent'.
The letter described amending these displays as an 'act of historical revision and potential erasure', according to the signatories. It said the British Museum must avoid complicity in genocide through its representation of Palestinians or by providing direct support to those who perpetrate or profit from that genocide, as per the letter. The letter took aim at British Museum director Nicholas Cullinan, stating he is reported to be 'disgusted' by media reports, but many are more disgusted by the museum's decision to host a private party for the Israeli Embassy last year while the Israeli Prime Minister is charged with war crimes by the ICC, according to the letter. The letter also stated that many are disgusted that the museum continues to partner with BP, a company that has profited from supplying fuel to the Israeli military throughout the bombing, violence and destruction in Gaza, according to the letter. The British Museum renewed its sponsorship with BP in 2023, signing a 10-year £50 million deal to help fund its redevelopment, according to reports. BP owns and operates the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline, which supplies Israel with crude oil, according to reports.
The letter called for the museum to make its position clear regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict and to express clear and unequivocal solidarity with the Palestinian people, according to the letter. It also pushed for the museum to issue a statement apologising for its relationship with BP and to remove its name from the museum, according to the letter. The British Museum has not officially confirmed or denied removing the word 'Palestine' from its displays, and its response to the letter remains unknown.
In a separate development, Sally Rooney, Greta Thunberg, and Brian Eno have written to the court of appeal in support of Palestine Action before a hearing to determine the lawfulness of the ban on the group, according to reports. The letter consists of only six words: 'We oppose genocide, we support Palestine Action', according to reports. It is signed by more than 130 people, according to reports. Three senior judges ruled in February that the ban on Palestine Action was unlawful, but said it should remain in place pending appeal, according to reports. The appeal will begin at the court of appeal on Tuesday, according to reports. After the high court's decision, the Metropolitan police said it would stop arresting people, but has since resumed arrests, according to reports. More than 3,000 people have been arrested for alleged support of a terrorist group by holding placards saying 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action', according to reports.
Sally Rooney cancelled a trip to the UK to pick up an award last year as she feared being arrested after she said she intended to use proceeds from her works to support Palestine Action, according to reports. Greta Thunberg was arrested in December after holding a sign at a demonstration saying 'I support the Palestine Action prisoners. I oppose genocide', according to reports.