London: The Palestinian ambassador to the UK has called for Foreign Office intervention after the British Museum removed references to Palestine from its exhibits. The UK recognized the state of Palestine in September 2025, but the same year the museum removed the name 'Palestine' from a panel listing the present-day countries encompassed by the ancient Levant, replacing it with Gaza and the West Bank.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the ambassador, Husam Zomlot, has demanded its restoration and called for discussions with the museum over the removal of 'Palestine' and 'Palestinian' from the explanatory panels of a number of exhibits in the ancient Levant and Egyptian rooms. Zomlot stated that this act was a historical 'erasure' amid claims of a genocide campaign against Palestinians by Israel, as reported by several human rights organizations and a UN independent commission.
Zomlot further highlighted that Israel has removed archaeological relics from the occupied Palestinian territories and in September last year bombed a significant storage depot of ancient artefacts in Gaza City, destroying three decades of archaeological work. Despite an invitation to meet the museum's director, Nicholas Cullinan, and some curators on 24 March, Zomlot was offered no assurance of the changes being reversed, prompting him to decline a tour of the museum.
In a letter dated 9 April, seen by the Guardian and New Lines Magazine, Zomlot expressed his unwillingness to engage further without corrective actions or a commitment to address the issues. He expressed readiness for continued discussions and a tour once necessary corrections are made. The British Museum, in a statement, claimed that they have not removed the term 'Palestine' from displays and continue to reference it across various galleries and on their website, contradicting photographic evidence and previous remarks attributed to the museum.
Zomlot has since appealed to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for intervention, hoping the UK government will persuade the museum to align with its recognition of Palestine. He emphasized that the issue extends beyond politics and legality to existential concerns, with erasing the past equating to erasing the present.
A British government spokesperson clarified that museums and galleries in the UK operate independently of the government, leaving decisions about their collections to their trustees. The British Museum has yet to provide an explanation for the changes, which gained attention after a report by the Telegraph on 14 February stated that the alterations followed concerns raised by a pressure group, UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI).