UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has welcomed a commitment from City Lit to review the content and terminology used in one of its forthcoming art history courses after concerns were raised about historical accuracy and sensitivity to Jewish and Israeli students.

UKLFI wrote to City Lit, the London-based adult education college, regarding a course entitled ‘An insight in the art of Palestine: from the ancient to the modern world,’ scheduled to be delivered in May 2026.

In its letter, UKLFI identified concerns about the historically inaccurate use of the term “Palestine” across all historical periods covered by the course, spanning from Classical Antiquity to the present day.

The letter explained that the earliest known use of the term “Palestine” appears in the writings of Herodotus in the 5th century BC, where it referred only to a coastal strip inhabited by the Philistines. The name was later imposed by the Roman Emperor Hadrian after the Bar Kokhba revolt in around 135 AD, when the province of Judea was renamed “Syria Palaestina” in a deliberate effort to minimise Jewish connection to the land.

Applying the term “Palestine” across all historical periods, UKLFI argued, risks presenting a misleading picture of the region’s historical development and erases the existence of Jewish kingdoms and Jewish national identity in the region.

UKLFI also raised concerns that the course description made no reference to Jewish artistic, architectural or cultural heritage, despite purporting to offer a broad survey of artistic production across an extended historical period.

This omission, combined with the retroactive use of “Palestine,” comes across as an attempt to rewrite history, implying that “Palestine” existed thousands of years before it actually did. UKLFI warned that such erasure risks creating a hostile or exclusionary learning environment for Jewish and Israeli students, potentially engaging duties under the Equality Act 2010.

In its response City Lit confirmed that it will review the course content and terminology in light of UKLFI’s concerns. It stated: “we will work with the department to review the content and terminology within the course and shall listen to different viewpoints, learn, and respond with sensitivity.”

City Lit also emphasised its commitment to academic rigour, scholarly integrity and intellectual independence, and said it promotes tolerance for differing opinions while maintaining its values of respect, inclusion and diversity.

A spokesperson for UKLFI commented:

“We welcome City Lit’s commitment to reviewing the course content and terminology. The accurate and sensitive treatment of this history matters enormously to Jewish and Israeli students. We hope this review will result in descriptions and materials that are historically precise and treat all communities’ connections to the region with equal respect.”