Israeli police conducted a raid on two Palestinian bookstores in occupied east Jerusalem, resulting in the confiscation of books and the arrest of one of the owners and his nephew. The incident took place at the Educational Bookshop, a well-established institution with branches offering Arabic and English-language materials.
Footage shared by the owners revealed police officers collecting books in trash bags and causing material damage to the Arabic-language store. The owners, the Muna family, expressed distress over the scattered books and writing materials on the ground.
Following the raid, the owner and his nephew were detained overnight and are scheduled for a court hearing. Diplomatic representatives from the European Union, various EU member states, the United Kingdom, and Brazil were present at the court session.
Israeli police justified the arrests by citing suspicions of selling books promoting incitement and terrorism. They claimed to have found books with nationalist Palestinian themes, including a children's coloring book titled 'From the River to the Sea,' a phrase viewed differently by Palestinians and Jews.
The Educational Bookshop, established in 1984, is a significant cultural hub in East Jerusalem, offering Arabic and English literature to a diverse clientele. Advocacy groups like 'The Time Has Come' condemned the raid, emphasizing the importance of free expression and the bookstore's role in fostering a shared future in Jerusalem.
Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur for Palestinian Territories, expressed shock over the incident, describing the bookstore as a vital entity resisting Palestinian erasure under apartheid. She called on the international community to support the Muna family and protect the bookstore from further harm.
