Liverpool’s World Museum has said it will review exhibition wording in its Ancient Egypt gallery following a complaint by UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI), indicating that changes may be considered as part of future exhibition maintenance.

Thutmose I

In a letter dated 24 November 2025, the museum acknowledged concerns raised by UKLFI about the historical accuracy of several display labels and confirmed that the issues raised would be “taken into consideration as part of our ongoing maintenance of exhibitions.” The response, signed by the museum’s head, was copied to the director of National Museums Liverpool, suggesting the matter has been escalated within the organisation

The complaint, submitted on 18 November 2025, calls for revisions to three labels in the Ancient Egypt gallery that use the term “Palestine” when describing events from the third and second millennia BC. UKLFI argues that the terminology is historically inaccurate for the periods in question and has asked the museum to use contemporary or neutral terms such as “Canaan” or “the Levant”.

Photographs supplied with the complaint show the disputed labels, including references to “Palestinian wine” in a description of King Scorpion’s burial around 3250 BC, the Hyksos originating from “ancient Palestine” during the Second Intermediate Period, and military campaigns by Thutmose I in “Syria-Palestine”

While the museum’s response does not commit to specific amendments or provide a timetable for changes, its reference to “ongoing maintenance” suggests that the wording may be reviewed as part of future curatorial updates rather than through immediate alterations.

Responding to the museum’s letter, a spokesperson for UKLFI said the organisation welcomed the indication that the issue would be reviewed, but stressed the importance of concrete follow-up.

“We are pleased that the World Museum has acknowledged our concerns and indicated that the wording will be considered as part of its exhibition maintenance,” the spokesperson said. “Museums play a crucial role in public education, and it is important that historical descriptions are both accurate and politically neutral. We hope the museum will now take the opportunity to update the labels so that visitors are not misled by terminology that did not exist at the periods being described.”

National Museums Liverpool has not announced whether the review will result in updated labels, nor whether similar terminology elsewhere in its collections will be reassessed. For now, the museum appears to be treating the complaint as part of a longer-term curatorial process rather than committing to immediate action.