Israeli police raided the Educational Bookshop, a well-known Palestinian bookstore in East Jerusalem, detaining its owners and confiscating hundreds of books. Authorities claimed the books incited violence and charged the owners, Mahmoud Muna and Ahmad Muna, with disrupting public order.
CCTV footage showed officers collecting books in black bags, including a children’s coloring book featuring the slogan “From the river to the sea.” The raid has sparked outcry from the UN and foreign diplomats, while local protesters gathered outside the store demanding the owners’ release.
Also Read: Trump Urges Israel to Abandon Ceasefire, Threatens Hamas Over Hostage Release
Murad Muna, a relative of the owners, called the arrests political and highlighted the bookstore’s role in promoting knowledge and discussion since 1984. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Nathan Thrall also criticized the raid, stating it was part of Israel’s effort to suppress Palestinian cultural life in East Jerusalem.
The three-story bookstore, established over 40 years ago, housed a large collection of books on the Middle East conflict and hosted cultural events. Many of its books were written by Israeli and Jewish authors, making its closure a major blow to academic and cultural discourse in the region.
