Police have accused the shops’ owners of ‘incitement and support for terrorism’ but critics have claimed that the arrests were unjustified
February 10, 2025 16:08
By Jacob Jaffa
Two bookshop owners have been arrested by Israeli police after their outlets in East Jerusalem were raided over the weekend.
Mahmoud Muna and his nephew Ahmad were accused of inciting and supporting terrorism, but their detention has sparked a backlash in the city.
The pair operate the Educational Bookshop chain of three stores, with a focus on works relating to the Israel-Palestine conflict and Middle Eastern culture.
Their shops have hundreds of books, newspapers and comics on offer and have become a fixture among the city’s diplomatic and journalistic communites, as well as with tourists.
Germany’s ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, wrote on X: “I know … the Muna family, to be peace-loving proud Palestinian Jerusalemites, open for discussion and intellectual exchange.
"I am concerned to hear of the raid and their detention in prison.”
The men’s families have claimed that two of the shops were raided by Israeli police on Sunday, with officers allegedly using translation apps to remove any books with the word “Palestine” in the title, as well as any bearing the Palestinian flag.
This was reported to include a children’s colouring book which featured the controversial “from the river to the sea” slogan.
Iyad Muna, a relative of Mahmoud and Ahmad who runs one of the stores, told CNN: “They did throw some books on the ground but the Arabic [language] store is where the material damage was.”
He also shared CCTV images showing a group of plain-clothes police officers rifling through books and leaving volumes scattered on the floor.
Another family member, Morad Muna, added: “They want to make us afraid. Not just us, they want to send a message to all Palestinian people.
"We are now going to reopen both branches of the bookshop. I think this is the best reaction that we can do to such a situation.”
A statement from the police force said that the men had been arrested on suspicion of selling books that contained “incitement and support for terrorism”.
It added: “Detectives encountered numerous books containing inciteful material with nationalist Palestinian themes.
"The suspects who allegedly sold the books were taken into custody by police detectives.
"The Israel Police will continue its efforts to thwart incitement and support for terrorism, as well as apprehend those involved in offenses that threaten the security of Israel’s citizens.”
The pair have had their detention extended by 24, with a further five days of house arrest, following a ruling by an Israeli court to allow investigations to continue.
In the wake of the hearing, their lawyer, Nasser Oday, told reporters: “[These arrests are] part of a new policy followed by Israeli police in Jerusalem to suppress freedom of expression and Palestinian thought, and prevent learning and education.”