Open University reverses UKLFI-influenced ‘ancient Palestine’ ban

Open University Reverses UKLFI-Influenced ‘Ancient Palestine’ Ban

The Open University (OU) has seemingly undone a prior agreement with the pro-Israel advocacy group UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) that restricted the use of the phrase “ancient Palestine,” according to a report by Novara Media.

On 30 November 2025, UKLFI contacted the OU, asserting that the term “ancient Palestine” might foster a “hostile or offensive learning environment for Jewish and Israeli students.” They argued the university could be violating the Equality Act, citing a humanities module that referenced the Virgin Mary’s birthplace as “ancient Palestine” and included a map titled “Map of Ancient Palestine.”

UKLFI claimed the term Palestine was not historically applied to the region until “more than a century after Mary’s lifetime,” when Roman Emperor Hadrian renamed it “Syria Palaestina.” In response, the OU’s head of arts and social sciences, Adrienne Scullion, acknowledged that the term had become “problematic” since the materials were first written in 2018.

“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,” Scullion stated.

Following UKLFI’s publicisation of the OU’s stance, over 600 academics and public figures signed an open letter earlier this year demanding an “urgent public retraction” of the university’s commitments to the group. The letter warned that the OU’s decisions risked undermining its statutory responsibilities under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, exposing staff to harassment and setting precedents for attacks on academic freedom.

Signatories included Israeli historians Ilan Pappe and Avi Shlaim, along with Palestinian scholars Rashid Khalidi and Nur Masalha. The letter was backed by the OU’s University and College Union branch. However, the university has since appeared to backtrack on its promise, allowing the term “ancient Palestine” to be used without mandatory contextual notes, as confirmed by an OU spokesperson.

The spokesperson noted that the commitment to UKLFI pertained only to one unit of study, which was “scheduled for replacement.” Despite this, an unnamed staff member pointed out a “clear contradiction” between the current statement and the previous agreement, stating the OU’s remarks “do not constitute a reasonable interpretation” of Scullion’s December 18th letter.

This follows a recent dispute involving the British Museum, which removed the term Palestine from exhibits on ancient Egypt and the Phoenicians. UKLFI claimed the change was a direct response to its complaints. A British Museum representative, however, denied any link to the group’s input.

Academics have since highlighted that “ancient Palestine” is a historically accurate designation for the region in antiquity. Marchella Ward, a classical studies lecturer at the OU, affirmed her continued use of the term in research, calling the claims of its late application a “lie” intended to support Israel’s “ongoing genocide” and erase Palestinian history.

The OU is not the only institution facing pressure from UKLFI. Last month, it was revealed that Encyclopaedia Britannica had revised several entries in its Britannica Kids section, removing the term from regional maps, following advocacy from the group. Earlier in 2023, London’s Chelsea and Westminster Hospital had taken down an artwork created by Gaza schoolchildren, an action UKLFI’s Caroline Turner attributed to “patients’ complaints.”