Gif's ArtidoteMar 15

In November 2025, UK Lawyers for Israel (#UKLFI) sent the Open University (#OU) a threat of legal action against the term ‘ancient Palestine’ in a current course. The following month, the OU sent UKLFI a letter making two commitments: to add a contextual note to the current course, and to not use the term again in future course materials. Since January 2026..

https://docs.google.com/document/u/0/d/e/2PACX-1vQkTPnYNKc-kpm9lLTzdw-TAcRm75o57VGziPimNEeNmGOoxH_mwixhcGvDwwMQbUmuzbfoEpnszGmT/pub?

#press #IndependentMedia #news #FreePalestine #UKuniversities #science #StateCrime #CorporateCrime

Open Letter to the Vice‑Chancellor of The Open University: Call for Urgent Compliance Action under the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023 regarding “Ancient Palestine”

Show threadGif's Artidote
.., and over several rounds of communication, the OU Palestine Solidarity Group had sought clarification from the OU administration as to whether the commitments had in fact been made and, if so, to fully retract them on the grounds that they violate the Higher Education Freedom of Speech Act (2023). Due to what we felt to be an absence of clarity in the responses from the OU administration, a Freedom of Information request was made which revealed that the commitments to UKLFI had in fact..
Mar 15 at 6:14pmMastodon for Android
Show threadGif's ArtidoteMar 15

..been made. For transparency, the commitments the OU made to UKLFI can be seen as screenshots in Novara Media’s and The New Arab’s coverage of the story.

now students & staff are calling on the OU to commission an inquiry into how this incident could happen in this #OpenLetter:

Show threadGif's ArtidoteMar 15

#OpenUniversity u-turns on ancient Palestine ban #NovaraMedia #press #news

https://novaramedia.com/2026/03/03/open-university-u-turns-on-ancient-palestine-ban/

Open University U-Turns on ‘Ancient Palestine’ Ban

In December, the Open University told UK Lawyers for Israel it would stop using the term ‘ancient Palestine’ in teaching materials. Following a public outcry, the university now says the term isn't actually banned at all. Harriet Williamson reports.

Novara Media