Israeli police raided the Educational Bookshop in occupied East Jerusalem on Sunday, detaining two owners, Mahmoud Muna and Ahmed Muna, on suspicion of violating public order. The raids were widely condemned by human rights groups and intellectuals as an attempt to create a “culture of fear” among Palestinians.
The police cited a children’s coloring book as evidence of incitement to terrorism, but CCTV footage showed the men taking several books, including works by prominent authors such as Noam Chomsky and Ilan Pappé. The family-owned shop has been a hub for cultural life in Jerusalem for over four decades, hosting literary events and attracting diplomats from around the world.
The arrests were particularly chilling given the bookstore’s reputation and the connections of its owners to the diplomatic community. Human rights groups and intellectuals have called for the immediate release of the two men, describing the detentions as an attack on Palestinian cultural identity and freedom of expression.
The incident is part of a broader trend of harassment and arrest of Palestinian intellectuals, including last year’s detention of Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian. The bookshop’s owner, Morad Muna, stated that the police wanted to make Palestinians afraid, not just his family, but all Palestinian people. Despite the raid, the shop has reopened with a strong show of support from customers and intellectuals alike.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/10/israeli-police-raid-jerusalem-bookshops-and-arrest-palestinian-owners