More than 200 artists, academics and cultural figures have called on the British Museum to reject what they describe as attempts to erase references to Palestine from its galleries, warning that such moves risk contributing to the cultural and historical erasure of the Palestinian people.

In an open letter addressed to the museum’s trustees, the signatories said that “genocide extends to the cultural and historical erasure of a people,” urging the institution to show clear support for Palestinians and defend the historical use of the term “Palestine.”

The letter was coordinated by the campaign group Culture Unstained.

Among the prominent figures who signed the letter are actors Maxine Peake and Juliet Stevenson, musician Brian Eno, and architects Jeremy Till and Sarah Wigglesworth.

Several cultural and professional groups also endorsed the appeal, including Jewish Artists for Palestine, Archaeologists Against Apartheid and Artists & Culture Workers London.

The controversy emerged after reports that the British Museum had removed or amended references to “Palestine” in parts of its galleries.

The museum acknowledged that two display panels had been amended and said it was reviewing the historical use of the term across its exhibitions, but denied that the changes were made in response to pressure from UK Lawyers for Israel.

Previously, maps and information panels in the museum’s ancient Middle East collections referred to the eastern Mediterranean coast as Palestine and described some individuals as being “of Palestinian descent.”

According to reports, some references were altered to terms such as “Canaanite descent,” after concerns were raised by the pro-Israel legal group that the wording might obscure the history of Israel and the Jewish people.

The signatories argued that the recent changes risk legitimizing a broader campaign aimed at erasing Palestine “as a term, a place, a people and a historical reality.” They urged the museum to condemn the politically motivated effort to revise historical narratives.

The letter also criticized the museum for hosting a private event for the Israeli Embassy last year and for maintaining a partnership with the oil company BP, which activists say has supplied fuel used by the Israeli military.

Calling on the museum to avoid complicity in what they described as Israel’s violence in Gaza, the signatories urged the institution to publicly express solidarity with Palestinians and to ensure that its displays accurately reflect Palestinian history and identity.

“Archaeologists, historians and museum workers have both an urgent responsibility and a unique opportunity to stand against cultural erasure,” the group Archaeologists Against Apartheid said in a statement, adding that heritage institutions must resist attempts to remove Palestinians from the historical record.

The open letter called on the museum to clarify its position, restore historical references where appropriate, and acknowledge the broader political implications of altering how Palestine and its people are represented in cultural institutions.