Key facts
- Billionaire Igor Tulchinsky, a sponsor of the British Museum's Bayeux Tapestry exhibition, funded a community center in the illegal Israeli settlement of Efrat.
- Efrat is located in the occupied West Bank and is under UK sanctions.
- Green Party leader Zack Polanski is urging the UK government to investigate Tulchinsky's sponsorship for potential breach of sanctions.
- The British Museum has accepted significant funding from Tulchinsky for the exhibition.
- The UK government recently declared Israeli settlements illegal and imposed sanctions against them.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski has called on the UK government to investigate the sponsorship of the British Museum's Bayeux Tapestry exhibition by billionaire Igor Tulchinsky. Middle East Eye reported that Tulchinsky, who has backed the exhibition with an estimated £5 million ($6.75 million), unveiled a "community resilience centre" in November 2025 in Efrat, an illegal Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank.
Efrat, home to around 12,000 Israeli settlers, is built on land seized from Palestinian villages and is now subject to UK sanctions. Tulchinsky is identified as the primary sponsor of a "therapy yurt" within this centre, which serves the Gush Etzion bloc of settlements. He reportedly dedicated the facility to "Israel's brave warriors and their families" alongside Efrat's mayor, Dovi Shefler.
Polanski stated that if the Labour government is serious about its new rhetoric on the West Bank, it must investigate whether Tulchinsky's sponsorship constitutes a breach of the sanctions announced this week. He also referenced a previous instance where billionaire Peter Thiel, whose firm Palantir supplies the Israeli military, was given private access to the tapestry.
Last week, British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband declared the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and recognized the "ethnic cleansing" of Palestinians in the West Bank. He announced comprehensive sanctions on Israeli settlements and a ban on arms licenses and exports that materially contribute to the occupation, vowing action against those who finance or facilitate illegal settlements.
The British Museum, which operates independently of the government, has not responded to requests for comment regarding Tulchinsky's sponsorship. The museum previously faced calls for an investigation into its removal of references to Palestine from its galleries and other controversial sponsorship deals. Labour MP Kim Johnson described the emerging pattern as "worrying," questioning whether national cultural institutions should accept funding from individuals involved in settlement projects.
Tulchinsky's investment firm WorldQuant and the museum have not commented on Polanski's remarks. The Efrat Development Foundation confirmed Tulchinsky was a donor but declined to name the organization through which he contributed. MEE also reported that Tulchinsky has an Israeli venture capital fund focused on defense technology, headed by a retired army commander who has promoted the use of remote-controlled vehicles in Gaza, which rights groups have described as a tool for committing genocide.