British Museum removes “Palestine” from ancient Levant displays

• The museum said it is reviewing and updating gallery panels case by case, replacing some references with terms such as Canaan, Judah, and 'Israel'.

The British Museum has removed the word “Palestine” from some displays covering the ancient Middle East after concerns were raised by a UK-based 'Israeli' advocacy group.

The museum confirmed it is reviewing and updating certain gallery panels and labels following feedback that “the historic use of the term Palestine … is in some circumstances no longer meaningful,” the group said.

UK Lawyers for 'Israel' argued there were “historically inaccurate” references to Palestine in exhibits covering the ancient Levant and Egypt. The group claimed using a single name across thousands of years “erases historical changes and creates a false impression of continuity.”

In response, a museum spokesperson said updates are being made on a case-by-case basis.

“For example, the information panels in the Levant gallery, covering the period 2000–300 BC, have all been updated to describe in some detail the history of Canaan and the Canaanites and the rise of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel using those names,” the spokesperson said.

The museum added that a revised text devoted to the Phoenicians was installed in early 2025.

The Telegraph reported that the term “Palestinian descent” in the Hyksos panel has been changed to read “Canaanite descent.”

In a statement, UK Lawyers for 'Israel' welcomed what it described as the museum’s willingness to review and amend terminology it considers “inaccurate or liable to convey an incorrect meaning today.”

Last week, the group issued a statement titled, “British Museum under pressure to change historically inaccurate use of ‘Palestine.’”