Open University reverses UKLFI-influenced ‘ancient Palestine’ ban

Open University Reverses UKLFI-Influenced ‘Ancient Palestine’ Ban

The Open University (OU) has seemingly undone an agreement it reached with the pro-Israel advocacy group UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) to avoid using the term “ancient Palestine,” as reported by Novara Media. This shift follows a complaint from UKLFI, which argued the term could foster a “hostile or offensive learning environment” for Jewish and Israeli students.

On 30 November 2025, UKLFI contacted the OU, asserting that the term “ancient Palestine” was misleading. It claimed the university might be violating the Equality Act by referencing the Virgin Mary’s birthplace as occurring in “ancient Palestine” and including a map titled “Map of Ancient Palestine” in its humanities materials. UKLFI emphasized that the name Palestine was not used for the region until “more than a century after Mary’s lifetime,” when the Roman Emperor Hadrian renamed it “Syria Palaestina.”

In response, Adrienne Scullion, head of the faculty of arts and social sciences at the OU, acknowledged that the term had become “problematic” since the materials were originally written in 2018. She stated: “We will not use the term again in future learning materials, and we will explain and contextualise its use in existing materials for current learners.” This marked the OU’s initial commitment to the UKLFI’s demands.

“We will not use the term again in future learning materials, and we will explain and contextualise its use in existing materials for current learners.”

Following the publication of the OU’s response, over 600 academics and public figures signed an open letter earlier this year, urging an “urgent public retraction” of the university’s “commitments” to UKLFI. The letter highlighted concerns that the term “ancient Palestine” could undermine the OU’s obligations under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 (HEFSA). It also warned that the commitments risked staff harassment, set harmful precedents for academic freedom, and made the OU complicit in spreading disinformation.

The letter was signed by historians such as Ilan Pappe and Avi Shlaim from Israel, alongside Rashid Khalidi and Nur Masalha from Palestine. It received support from the University and College Union branch of the OU. However, the university has since appeared to backtrack on its pledge.

Novara Media reported on Tuesday that an OU representative clarified that academics “are free to use the term ‘ancient Palestine’ where scholarly appropriate in teaching and learning materials.” The spokesperson added that a contextual note is optional unless deemed necessary for academic clarity.

“Academics are free to use the term ‘ancient Palestine’ where scholarly appropriate in teaching and learning materials, and there is no requirement to use a contextual note unless they think it is academically appropriate.”

Despite this, an anonymous staff member noted a “clear contradiction” between the OU’s latest statement and prior commitments to UKLFI. They argued the current position “does not constitute a reasonable interpretation of the letter from 18 December.”

This development follows a similar incident at the British Museum, where the term Palestine was removed from exhibits on ancient Egypt and the Phoenicians. UKLFI attributed this change to a complaint they had filed. A British Museum representative denied the connection, stating the decision was unrelated to UKLFI’s input.

In response to the museum’s actions, scholars told Middle East Eye that “ancient Palestine” is a historically valid label for the region in antiquity. Marchella Ward, a classical studies lecturer at the OU, affirmed: “I use the term ‘ancient Palestine’ frequently in my own research and will continue to do so.” She called claims of the term being late or invalid as “lies” aimed at erasing Palestinians and supporting Israel’s “ongoing genocide against them.”

The OU is not the only institution facing pressure from UKLFI. Last month, it was reported that Encyclopaedia Britannica had altered entries in Britannica Kids, removing the term from regional maps after UKLFI’s influence. In February 2023, London’s Chelsea and Westminster Hospital also took down an artwork created by students in Gaza, which UKLFI director Caroline Turner linked to “patients’ complaints.”