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Jerusalem's Educational Bookshop owners arrested as books on Israel-Palestine conflict confiscated
The owners of Jerusalem’s Educational Bookshop, Mahmoud Muna and his nephew Ahmad Muna, were arrested on 9th February 2025, while dozens of books were confiscated from their store, according to reports.
According to a statement by Saqi Books, Mahmoud’s UK publisher, the bookshop specialises in Arabic and English-language books on Jerusalem’s history and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It is part of a chain with three locations and sells books that are imported into Israel and therefore pass inspection by Israeli authorities.
The booksellers 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.
According to reports, the two men will be released from detention today, 11th February, and will be placed under house arrest for a week.
Murad Muna, Mahmoud’s brother, said that the authorities "took every book with a Palestinian flag on it". He added: "They used Google Translate on the books, and anything they didn’t like, they took. They even found a Haaretz newspaper with a picture of the hostages and asked what it was, saying it was incitement."
Lynn Gaspard, publisher of Saqi Books, said: "I was at university with Mahmoud Muna and I know him to be a thoughtful and generous reader, a man who cares passionately about freedom of speech and literature. His bookshops are a beacon of freedom in a bleak environment. It is a grim moment for culture and freedom when people are arrested for selling books and their books are sieved."
In a post on Instagram, a collective of publishers known as Publishers for Palestine, condemned the arrest and detention of the two men. "The attack on the Munas and the store, an important centre that has promoted Palestinian culture and books in Arabic for 40 years, is part of Israel’s practice of cultural erasure and its larger genocidal project against Palestinians," the post said.
Meryl Halls, managing director, The Booksellers Association said: "The Booksellers Association fundamentally believes that all bookshops should be respectfully allowed to function as peaceful spaces of intellectual refuge and freedom of expression, and the booksellers who facilitate them be protected physically, mentally and operationally from all forms of aggression and suppression. We condemn any persecution of any bookseller who is simply doing what their vocation requires of them - creating safe spaces, facilitating respectful conversations and representing different perspectives."
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Jemimah Steinfeld, CEO of Index on Censorship, said: "Book banning has no place in a democracy and these actions don’t even stop there. The two men, Mahmoud Muna and Ahmad Muna, are remarkable by all accounts and should be released immediately. Their arrests are another example of how authorities in Israel today are trying to silence the speech of Palestinians and the speech of those who challenge government lines more broadly. Freedom to read is not a luxury that can be given to those whose views you agree with only. It’s an essential part of free speech and it cannot happen if booksellers are unable to carry out their work safely, without fear of reprisal. We call for their immediate and unconditional release."
Andrew Franklin, Profile books founder and trustee of Index on Censorship, said: "Books are a bulwark of freedom. When they are banned, dark things follow. So for a bookshop to be raided, books seized by the police and the booksellers arrested is shocking and appalling. It speaks of grim repression and echoes the darkest days of book seizures and book burning. I know Mahmoud well and admire him greatly. Bookselling is never an easy profession and it’s really challenging under occupation. Mahmoud’s shops are a haven of ideas, stories and imagination in a bleak place. He’s a quiet hero."
Israeli police wrote in a statement on X: "Officers in Jerusalem arrested two individuals suspected of selling books containing incitement and support for terrorism. Detectives seized numerous books, including a children’s colouring book with nationalist content. The suspects are due to appear in court today."
UPDATE: 1pm, 11th February
According to reports online, Mahmoud and Ahmad have been released by Israeli police. Noga Tarnopolsky on X reported that no charges have been brought against them.
