LONDON, February 16, 2026 (WAFA) – The Palestinian Embassy to the UK condemned on Monday the pressure on the British Museum to restrict the use of the term “Palestine”.

“The Embassy of the State of Palestine expresses serious concern regarding reports that the British Museum has been pressured into removing, questioning, or restricting the use of the term “Palestine” in its galleries,” the Embassy said in a statement.

It affirmed that “Attempts to cast the very name “Palestine” as controversial risk contributing to a broader climate that normalises the denial of Palestinian existence at a time when the Palestinian people in Gaza face an ongoing genocide and their fellow Palestinians in the West Bank face ongoing ethnic cleansing, annexation, and state-sponsored violence.”

 “Cultural institutions must not become arenas for political campaigns. Palestine exists. It has always existed. And it always will,” Ambassador Husam Zomlot said.

The Embassy noted that it has reached out to the British Museum and relevant British officials to address these concerns and to ensure that scholarly and curatorial independence is upheld.

It added that it would communicate with all relevant institutions and the public once the matter has been clarified.

K.F.