JERUSALEM — Israeli police conducted a raid on a well-known Palestinian-owned bookstore located in east Jerusalem, apprehending the owners and seizing a number of books covering the long-standing conflict. Authorities allege that the materials incite violence.
The Educational Bookshop has been a fixture in the community for over 40 years, serving as an intellectual gathering place in east Jerusalem. This area, captured by Israel during the 1967 Middle East conflict, has been annexed, an act that lacks international recognition. The majority of the Palestinian population resides in east Jerusalem, which they aspire to see as the capital of a future state.
During the police operation on Sunday, the bookstore, which spans three stories, offered a broad array of literature predominantly in Arabic and English concerning the ongoing conflict and the broader Middle Eastern landscape. The collection includes works from both Israeli and Jewish authors. Moreover, the bookstore regularly hosts cultural events and is favored by researchers, journalists, and foreign diplomats.
According to May Muna, spouse of one of the bookstore’s owners, Ahmed and Mahmoud Muna, the police confiscated hundreds of conflict-related books and ordered the premises to be shut down. She detailed that the officers targeted books with Palestinian titles or symbols, further adding they frequently used Google Translate to understand Arabic titles prior to taking them in plastic bags.
The Israeli police clarified that the brothers were detained on allegations of “selling books that provoke incitement and support terrorism.” They cited an English-language children’s coloring book titled “From the River to the Sea” as an example—a phrase denoting the territory from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, which encompasses present-day Israel, the occupied West Bank, and the Gaza Strip.
On Monday, the Muna brothers appeared in court where a judge for the Jerusalem District Court rejected their appeal, ensuring they remain in custody for at least an additional night while investigations proceed. Police spokesperson Dean Elsdunne expressed that the books, particularly those aimed at younger audiences, posed a “clear danger” to the public.
Just the week prior, another Palestinian-owned bookstore in the Old City of east Jerusalem faced similar police action.
The conflicting views of Palestinians and hard-line Israelis both consider the entire area to be their national homeland. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration, which is against Palestinian statehood, has stated that Israel should retain perpetual control over all territories situated west of the Jordan River.
Since the October 7, 2023, assault by Hamas originating from Gaza—an event that ignited ongoing warfare—Israeli-Palestinian tensions have significantly escalated. A ceasefire has temporarily halted hostilities and facilitated the release of several Israeli hostages taken during the attack, along with hundreds of Palestinian detainees held by Israel. However, tensions continue to rise in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
In the October 7 assault, approximately 1,200 individuals were killed, mainly civilians, with around 250 others abducted. In response, Israel’s military actions in Gaza have resulted in over 47,000 Palestinian deaths, exceeding half of whom are reported to be women and children, as per the Gaza Health Ministry, which does not clarify the number of fighters among the deceased. Israeli claims state that over 17,000 militants have been killed, though specific evidence has not been presented.
Israel took control of the West Bank, Gaza, and east Jerusalem during the 1967 Mideast conflict, with Palestinians seeking all three regions for their envisioned state. The last significant peace negotiations collapsed after Netanyahu resumed leadership in 2009.
