solanas invictus

British Museum colludes with pro-Israel lobby to erase Palestine from historical exhibits —— An investigation by Middle East Eye has exposed the British Museum for covertly removing the terms “Palestine,” “Palestinian,” and “Israeli occupation” from its historical displays following intensive lobbying by pro-Israel activists. Internal emails obtained via a freedom of information request reveal that the London institution rapidly altered descriptions of artifacts dating back to 7,500 BCE to appease political pressure groups, including the Board of Deputies of British Jews and high-profile figures. While museum director Nick Cullinan publicly claimed the changes were part of a standard curation refresh and backed by audience testing, the newly released disclosures confirm that no visitor research regarding the term "Palestine" was ever conducted. The internal correspondence details a frantic effort by museum staff to pacify complaints lodged between October and December 2024, with one directive explicitly ordering curators to remain hyper-conscious of the anniversary of 7 October. In one instance, a panel describing ancient rulers of “Palestinian descent” was scrubbed and changed to “Canaanite origin” within five hours of receiving a complaint from the Board of Deputies. Middle East Eye cross-referenced the redacted emails to identify key lobbyists, including right-wing commentators and historians who weaponized access to the museum's leadership to argue that historical references to an ancient Israelite occupation would stoke modern antisemitism. The targeted erasure has sparked a severe diplomatic and cultural backlash, with Palestinian Ambassador to the UK Husam Zumlot accusing the public institution of betraying its historical integrity to serve political ends. Cultural figures and human rights defenders have condemned the museum for complicity in what the United Nations classifies as an ongoing genocide in Gaza, noting that the bureaucratic deletion of Palestinian history in London directly mirrors the physical destruction of heritage sites on the ground. Despite photographic evidence showing that references to "modern Palestine" were replaced with "Gaza and the West Bank" at gallery entrances, the British Museum has refused to answer specific inquiries, issuing a blanket denial to Middle East Eye that any erasure took place.

Paul Strand, Hidalgo Boy, Mexico, 1933

2012-01-27

oil on canvas painted only by palette knife , 122 x 122 cm.

Photographed by Moni Haworth for ALL-IN Magazine

​The idea that they are quiet, silent sufferers is a joke when you look at how much room they violently and casually steal every single day. If a man is inconvenienced, the whole world has to hear about it. If he is angry everyone around him has to manage his behavior. They don't suffer in silence. They make their presence, their entitlement and their general audacity everyone else's problem by default, and then expect a medal for "enduring" a world built entirely for them.

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