Israeli police raid Jerusalem bookshop for second time, arrest owner

Police stand outside bookshop

Israeli police have raided Jerusalem's Educational Bookshop for a second time, without a warrant, and arrested owner Imad Muna, who manages the bookshop with his brother Mahmoud.

The shop was first raided last month. Mahmoud and his nephew were arrested on 9 February and dozens of books were confiscated. The bookshop sells many books that are imported into Israel and therefore have already been inspected by Israeli authorities. It specialises in Arabic and English-language books on history of the Holy Land and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Last month the owners were initially charged with "inciting and supporting terrorism", but their attorney Nasser Odeh said this was changed to "disturbing the public order" while they were interrogated. They were eventually released without charge.

Mahmoud was due to give an in-person talk at the London Book Fair on 12 March, on 'Publishing Responsibly in Times of Conflict'. Now that his brother has been arrested he says he will take part in the event remotely.

Israel Police said in a statement that a caller had reported that there were "books containing inciting content" at the shop, leading to the seizure of three books and the temporary arrest of one person. They said they 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."

Andrew Franklin, a trustee of the Index on Censorship, told the trade magazine The Bookseller: "It is unbearable that people are being arrested simply for selling books. Freedom of speech is under threat everywhere, nowhere more so than Israel. This is the second time this shop has been raided and all it does is sell books."

The World Council of Churches' Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (WCC EAPPI) said: "We are deeply concerned about reports of the arrest of the peace-loving Muna family by the Israeli military and the raid on their bookshop. Their renowned East Jerusalem institution is beloved by Palestinians, Israelis, internationals, diplomats, journalists, and all who value Palestinian literature, culture, and history.

Selling books is not a crime. Palestinian culture is not a crime. Being Palestinian is not a crime.

We join others around the world in demanding their immediate release and protection."