British Museum faces scrutiny over sponsor’s links to illegal Israel settlement

The British Museum is under scrutiny for its due diligence process regarding a sponsor's ties to illegal Israeli settlements. Documents obtained by Middle East Eye show that the museum seemingly did not raise any concerns over the sponsor, Igor Tulchinsky, despite his involvement in a project in an illegal settlement in the West Bank.

Tulchinsky, a billionaire and founder of WorldQuant, visited the settlement of Efrat in late November to open a "therapy yurt" dedicated to "Israel's heroes". The museum's chair, George Osborne, had greenlit sponsorship negotiations after being told due diligence checks were clear. In just two weeks, the deal was sealed in principle.

The museum's director of development confirmed Tulchinsky's agreement to sponsor the £5m exhibition, which is set to open in February. Tulchinsky has been a prominent figure in the museum's promotion of the Bayeux Tapestry exhibition, which has drawn high-profile visitors. The museum has also opened a Tulchinsky Room for members and commissioned a portrait of him.

However, the controversy has reignited after the UK government announced plans to impose sanctions against companies and individuals supporting settlement expansion and acknowledged the occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal. The museum's actions may also breach the Museums Association's Code of Ethics. The UK's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) maintains that the museum's trustees are responsible for decisions about commercial and philanthropic donations.