As the Museum of British Colonialism, we affirm our solidarity with the Palestinian people’s right to resist settler colonialism and apartheid.
Over the past few weeks we have watched with horror the expulsions, ethnic cleansing, and blockading of the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, the attacks on peaceful worshippers in the Al-Aqsa mosque, and now the bombardment of Gaza by the Israeli military – leading to nearly 200 deaths, thousands of injuries, and the illegal targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure.
In all our work we have categorically rejected the triumphalist narrative of colonialism, settler occupation and the continuation of empire. Following a history of oppression under the British mandate in Palestine, we have continued to witness the violence of colonialism and aggression by Israel against the Palestinian people – for example, through state-sanctioned violence, land theft, police brutality and increased air strikes against innocent Palestinian families.
We are an anti-racist collective committed to decolonization and confrontation of racism and structural violences of empire. We believe that resistance against occupation in Palestine is not only a brave demand for freedom but also decolonization in action.
We stand in solidarity with all those protesting Israel’s occupation of Palestine. We remember all those who have lost their lives in the fight for freedom. We continue to bear their names in our hearts and in struggle as we continue to fight against all legacies of colonial violence.
Over the coming months, the Museum of British Colonialism will be creating and sharing more content on Palestinian history, particularly with regards to the British Mandate period, and amplifying the work of Palestinian historians and academics.
In solidarity,
The Museum of British Colonialism team