Activists occupy British Museum over Tulchinsky’s links to Israeli settlements

Activists have occupied the British Museum's Great Hall to protest billionaire Igor Tulchinsky's financial ties to an illegal Israeli settlement. Following a Middle East Eye investigation, pro-Palestine activists staged the occupation during the opening of the museum's Bayeux Tapestry exhibition. Tulchinsky sponsored the exhibition and funded a community center in Efrat, a settlement in the occupied West Bank that is now subject to UK sanctions.

Green Party leader Zack Polanski called on the British government to investigate Tulchinsky's sponsorship. Members of Energy Embargo for Palestine took part in the occupation, demanding that the museum end its relationship with BP and give staff the power to decide future sponsorships and partnerships. The group has four demands: sever ties with BP, establish a democratic staff-led body for partnerships and events, rename the BP lecture theater, and refuse funding from fossil fuel and arms companies.

Lila Azad criticized the museum's relationships with Tulchinsky and BP, stating that the museum wrongly claimed it could not deviate from British foreign policy. She added that the museum continues to partner with billionaires involved in illegal Israeli settlements despite sanctions placed on Israel by the UK government. Another Middle East Eye investigation found that the museum had removed references to "Palestine," "Palestinian" and "Israelite occupation" from displays in 2026.

Energy Embargo for Palestine plans to unveil a "People's Tapestry," created with the Camden People's Museum and Camden Friends of Palestine, which depicts the local community's vision for presenting history.