The British Museum has revised labels for ancient Middle Eastern artifacts in its Levant and Egypt galleries, removing the term "Palestine." The institution states the changes, part of a review underway for over a year, reflect that the term is no longer historically neutral due to contemporary political sensitivities, particularly following the Israel-Palestine conflict since October 2023. It now uses terms like "Canaan" for ancient regions and United Nations terminology for modern maps.
The decision has sparked significant backlash, with over 5,000 people signing a petition accusing the museum of erasing Palestinian history. While the advocacy group U.K. Lawyers for Israel praised the move for historical accuracy, scholars and activists argue the term "Palestine" has ancient origins and that the revision bows to political pressure, distorting historical understanding and contributing to a contentious cultural narrative.