Israeli police raid leading Palestinian bookshop in al-Quds, again

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Guardian
12 Mar 2025 07:56
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According to staff members, Israeli police had raided the bookshop in February and returned to the Educational Bookshop on Tuesday morning without a warrant.

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Imad Muna, owner of the Educational Bookshop in the eastern part of occupied al-Quds, on March 11, 2025 (AFP)

Israeli police have carried out a second raid in a month on the leading Palestinian bookshop in the eastern part of occupied al-Quds, detaining one of its owners for several hours and seizing books from its collection, The Guardian reported on Tuesday.

Israeli police had raided the bookshop in February and returned to the Educational Bookshop on Tuesday morning without a warrant, according to staff members.

During the raid, police used Google Translate to examine book titles, seizing approximately 50 books and detaining 61-year-old co-owner Imad Muna, his brother Morad Muna told the news website.

"They chose books by the cover, taking books that had a Palestinian flag, or just the word Palestine in the title," Muna indicated. "They were using Google Translate and took photos to send to their bosses."

Among the seized books were works on British artist Banksy, as well as publications by Israeli historian Ilan Pappe and American academic Noam Chomsky. After seizing the books, officers locked the shop, took the key, and transferred Imad Muna to a nearby police station. He was released without charge later that afternoon.

The February raid had led to the detention of Imad’s son, Ahmed Muna, 33, and another brother, Mahmoud Muna, 41. They were held for two days and subsequently placed under house arrest for five days but were not charged. Police had cited a children’s coloring book as alleged evidence of "incitement to terrorism."

Rights groups, along with prominent authors, intellectuals, and diplomats, have condemned the targeting of the bookshop, warning that it appears intended to instill a "culture of fear" among Palestinians.

Israeli law mandates that any prosecution related to freedom of speech must be authorized by the attorney general’s office. However, police had not sought approval to investigate, search the bookshop, or detain its staff.

Authorities justified the second raid by citing a complaint from a visitor who allegedly saw books containing "inciting content", according to a police spokesperson.

Police detained Imad Muna "to verify his identity and details of the store," the spokesperson said. They are now reviewing three of the seized books to determine whether to refer the matter to the attorney’s office for further investigation into the suspected sale of "inciting materials".

Following Muna’s release on Tuesday afternoon, most of the seized books were returned, and the bookshop reopened.

The Educational Bookshop, a family-run establishment, has been a cornerstone of al-Quds' cultural life for more than four decades.