'Disgusted and betrayed': British Museum ignores mounting staff anger over Israel event
The British Museum has ignored repeated calls by staff for a public apology following an event marking the anniversary of Israel's 77th Independence Day on 13 May.
The private gathering was organised by the Israeli embassy, with speakers including the Israeli ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely, and the UK minister for defence procurement and industry, Maria Eagle.
Reportedly, comedian Jimmy Carr, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, also attended.
Images of the event circulated online showed the museum’s great court bathed in blue light and festooned with Israeli flags.
But the museum’s staff were kept in the dark about the event - they were simply informed of a “large corporate function” and instructed to leave early on the day “with minimal notice”.
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They reported that since the day, management has failed to apologise and properly respond to multiple letters by staff, one garnering 250 signatures, to demand the museum issues an “immediate explanation and public apology,” and sever ties with Israeli institutions.
Sara, the author of one of the petitions who wished to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions, told Middle East Eye there was an “overwhelmingly widespread feeling of disgust and betrayal,” among workers across all sectors of the museum.
'They [museum management] knew what they were doing was indefensible, and they knew there would be a massive staff backlash'
- staff member, British Museum
Sara said she had found out about the event days before it went ahead from a colleague.
“I think the museum had deliberately limited news about this as much as possible internally, because they knew what they were doing was indefensible, and they knew there would be a massive staff backlash,” Sara told Middle East Eye.
According to one of the letters seen by MEE, staff said they were only alerted about the event when they were told to leave work early and found “a street lined with police cars”.
Lina, another staff member, described the event as “really disturbing,” reporting that “a lot of members of staff, especially Muslim members, felt really unsafe” in the aftermath.
She said that hospitality staff, who were working at the event, were “really scared” and reluctant to participate in the petition for fear of losing their jobs, adding that agency staff brought into work the event were not informed about its nature by the museum.
‘Non-responses’
Staff members who spoke to MEE said they had received “absolute non-responses” to the letters.
On 21 May, the museum’s director Nicholas Cullinan circulated an internal memo seen by MEE saying that when considering the request to hold the event, the museum management “looked at the fact that other embassies had held similar events here”.
“We also considered our status as an arms length body (and each of our status as public servants) – which means that we cannot deviate from, or undermine, the UK government’s foreign policy,” he added.
“I know that there are some who feel we should have consulted or informed staff in advance,” he said, citing “advice of police regarding security” for the lack of transparency in the run-up to the event.
Cullinan further said that he welcomed “staff or union involvement wherever appropriate”.
George Osborne, former chancellor of the Exchequer and the museum's chair, also wrote to staff saying: "We are a public body, stewards of a national collection held in trust for the public, and in receipt of large sums of taxpayers’ money. Those who work for the Museum are employed as public servants.
“It is for the democratically elected government of the day, accountable to our parliament and ultimately to you as citizens, to determine our nation’s foreign policy,” he continued.
He added that: “It would not be appropriate for the Museum to refuse to engage with any country with which the UK government maintains diplomatic relations - and where the government has not told us to disengage.”
Sara described the responses as “incredibly patronising”.
“I think they're very happy to pick and choose which parts of their job description they want to focus on as long as it puts more money in their pockets,” she said.
According to the staff letters, the move contradicts the museum’s own code of conduct and social media policy which requires “staff to refrain from political advocacy in a personal capacity, while simultaneously committing to uphold the highest standards of ethical practice”.
'It would not be appropriate for the Museum to refuse to engage with any country with which the UK government maintains diplomatic relations'
- George Osborne, British Museum chair
The code “explicitly supports staff who report unethical or illegal behaviour, and promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion as core values”.
It also acknowledges that “public activities associated with the Museum reflect upon the institution itself”.
“It is therefore essential that the Museum uphold the very values and standards it expects of its staff, ensuring that its own actions do not undermine the integrity of the institution or those who work for it,” one of the letters read.
In response to a request for comment by MEE, a British Museum spokesperson said: "Fundamentally, this was a commercial event – and as such is different to activities or events the Museum generates or hosts itself.
"All decisions about commercial events are taken on a non political basis and the Museum, as an arms length, can’t deviate from, or undermine, the UK government’s foreign policy.
“We are very aware of the strong feelings held, and respect people's rights to express their views. We can all agree that the loss of life on all sides is desperately sad.
"With regards to staff, the Director and the Chair of Trustees have both been very clear that they welcome staff feedback on all matters. In this instance they both wrote to staff in response to concerns raised," adding that the lack of transparency to staff around the event "is standard for commercial events held at the Museum".
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