When crabs care more than governments: UK museum defends Gaza

The UK’s Crab Museum has drawn widespread praise after posting a pro-Palestine message on Instagram, calling for an end to Israel's war on Gaza and urging compassion across struggles for justice.

"If you can’t handle us at 'free Palestine', then you sure as hell don't deserve us at 'crabs are cool as heck'," the post read.

"Our struggles are connected. If we can't show compassion for our fellow humans, how on Earth are we meant to believe in the beauty of crabs, weevils, badgers or bats?" the caption added.

Speaking to The New Arab, a spokesperson from the Margate-based museum said they have addressed hot political issues in the past, but the post on Palestine had received the biggest response to date.

"We believe that there are no politically neutral museums, and as a science museum, we think it is both dishonest and unscientific to study the natural world whilst ignoring the events happening in it," the spokesperson said.

'A moral issue'

The team said they were motivated by the belief that all life on Earth is interconnected, including the fight against climate change, inequality and colonial violence.

"We have been accused of overstepping the remit of what a museum can talk about, but we want to push back on that. We use a far broader and more engaged definition of the term 'museum', that does not try to pick and choose which phenomena are worth studying, and which would be more conveniently ignored," they said.

"We think it is a moral imperative of everyone - individuals, businesses, organisations, including museums - to speak up against injustice, especially the ongoing genocide being committed by the state of Israel with the support of the UK. We do not consider this to be a political position, but a moral and human rights issue," they added.

Since posting, the museum said it has received threatening messages but remains undeterred in its fight for justice.

"We are a mostly non-white run museum with many Jewish staff members and supporters, so we are used to being misrepresented and attacked. But any backlash we receive is nothing compared to what is being endured by those in Palestine," the spokesperson said.

Widespread praise online

Hundreds of people have praised the establishment for speaking up against the assault on Gaza.

"I would say I love the crab museum having a backbone, but crabs don’t have backbones, so I love the crab museum having a strong exoskeleton," one person commented.

"A literal crab museum has more empathy than some of you. That's crazy," another wrote.

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Crab Museum (@crabmuseum)

In a follow-up comment, the museum addressed criticism and clarified its position: "We'd just like to address what are some clearly quite bad takes.

"To restate what should be obvious: The government, leadership, and policies of the nation state of Israel is NOT the same thing as Judaism or the Jewish people. It is possible to criticise one without hating the other," it said.

The museum emphasised that it was possible to condemn what it called genocide and to hope for a peaceful Palestinian homeland without being antisemitic.

"We know that politics - like biology - is full of nuance. Feel free to discuss all this in the comments, but do bear in mind that we are a free-entry museum about crabs, and we will not be marking anyone's essays," the statement from the museum continued.

One commenter joked: "I now feel bad for being severely allergic to shellfish", while others pledged to visit in support.

While crabs are the museum's focus, it also uses its exhibitions to explore broader themes like capitalism, colonialism and climate change.

The museum's post comes amid Israel's ongoing war on Gaza and its continued blockade of humanitarian aid. Since October 2023, more than 61,700 Palestinians have been killed, and the majority of Gaza's population has been displaced. Hundreds more have died in the occupied West Bank, while Israel continues to annex Palestinian land.

Leading rights groups, including Amnesty International, have described the war as a genocide.