Israel police raid Palestinian bookshop in East Jerusalem for 2nd time in a month, detain owner

Ahmad Muna, one of the owners of the Educational Bookshop in East Jerusalem, sits in front of the closed shop after it was raided by the Israel Police on 11 March 2025

Yael Freidson and Nir Hasson report in Haaretz on 11 March 2025:

The Israel Police raided the Palestinian bookstore, the Educational Bookshop, in East Jerusalem on Tuesday for the second time in a month, detaining one of its owners, 61-year-old Imad Muna, for questioning.

Muna’s family, who manage the store, told Haaretz that the police confiscated books and ordered the store’s closure without presenting a search or arrest warrant.

In a statement, Israel Police said a caller had reported that there were “books containing inciting content” at the store, leading to the seizure of three books and the temporary arrest of one person.

Police “have initiated a review of the books, and based on the findings, a determination will be made on whether to refer the matter to the State Attorney’s Office for further investigation into the suspected sale of inciting materials,” the statement reads.

Israel Police reiterated that it’s “committed to conducting a thorough and professional examination of the case.”

Last month, the police arrested Imad’s son, Ahmad, and his brother Mahmoud. The two were held for two days despite the fact that the police had not received approval from the Israeli State Attorney’s Office to launch an investigation for incitement.  The Deputy State Attorney criticized the police’s raid, stating that there had been communication with senior police officials “to ensure such incidents do not recur.”

The store specializes in books related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the history of Jerusalem and is well known in the international community, particularly among journalists, researchers, and diplomats. The arrests of Ahmad and Mahmoud last month received extensive coverage in the international media, and more than ten diplomats attended the hearing for the extension of their detention at the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court.

Ahmad Muna told Haaretz on Tuesday that, “At 11:15 A.M., the police arrived at the store, and my parents were there at the time. The police asked for the business licenses and reviewed the account books. I arrived but they wouldn’t let me in. They went through the books, stacked a pile of books that they took.”

Among the confiscated books, Muna said, were works by British artist Banksy, linguist Noam Chomsky, and historian Ilan Pappé. “After an hour, they arrested my father, told my mother to close the store, and took the key. They didn’t tell us which station they were taking my father to.” According to him, the police did not present a warrant for any of their actions.

“All the books in the store are also in Israel’s National Library, and all were published by recognized publishers,” said Mahmoud Muna to Haaretz after being released from detention last month.

“We challenge the Israeli narrative, but also the Palestinian narrative. We believe we have a responsibility to our society and our mission, and we will continue. If Israel wants to start censoring books, it should publish a list of what is allowed and what is forbidden to read,” he said.

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