• 'Threatened by books?': Israel condemned for arresting Palestinian book

    From NefeshBarYochai@21:1/5 to All on Thu Feb 27 23:24:07 2025
    XPost: or.politics, seattle.politics, edm.general
    XPost: alt.global-warming

    Thousands have taken to social media this week to condemn Israel after
    its authorities arrested the Palestinian owners of a historic occupied
    East Jerusalem bookshop for "inciting terrorism" with Palestinian
    literature, using a children's colouring book as proposed evidence.

    Educational Bookshop is a decades-old bookstore chain respected by
    locals and internationals alike, with both Arabic and English-language locations. The Muna family have become well-known figures in the local Palestinian community and with diplomats, academics and writers who
    have visited occupied East Jerusalem.

    On Sunday, Israeli plain-clothed agents raided two of its three
    branches. Witnesses told Middle East Eye that the agents entered
    around 3pm as if they were regular customers. After five minutes, they
    suddenly produced a search warrant and ordered customers to leave.

    After about 90 minutes, the Israelis left after detaining the shopsÆ
    owners, Mahmoud Muna and his nephew Ahmad. Both have been taken into
    custody. Many of their books were taken away with them.

    Witnesses said the Munas were told they were accused of ôdisorderly
    conductö. However, MEE has been told that the search warrants
    specified "terrorist" offences.

    The official X account of the Israeli police posted a picture of a
    children's colouring book, titled From the River to the Sea, as
    supposed evidence of the bookshop containing material "containing
    incitement and support for terrorism".

    https://www.middleeasteye.net/trending/threatened-books-hundreds-condemn-israel-arrest-palestinian-bookshop-owners

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