Israeli Police Raid Famous Palestinian-run Bookshop In East Jerusalem

Abdullah Hussain (@Abdulla99267510) Published March 12, 2025 | 04:10 PM

Bookshop Owner Imad while speaking to Israeli media says confiscated books are also available in Israel’s National library

JERUSALEM: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-March 12nd, 2025) The Israeli police on Wednesday raided the renowned Educational Bookshop, run by Palestinian citizen, in occupied East Jerusalem.

The police arrested the bookshop owner.

According to the Israeli media, the operation was carried out without a warrant and drew strong condemnation from the human rights organizations.

During the raid, the police seized books by prominent authors including British artist Banksy, Noam Chomsky and historian Ilan Pappé. The authorities also ordered the shop to be sealed.

Located in the East Jerusalem, the bookshop is known for providing unique material on the Israel-Palestine conflict and the history of Jerusalem.

The Israeli police claimed the raid was conducted to inspect book content that allegedly disrupted public order.

However, the shop owner dismissed these allegations.

The Israeli human rights organizations denounced the raid as unjust, calling it an attack on freedom of expression and access to literature.

Speaking to Israeli media, Imad, the owner of the book shop, stated that the confiscated books are also available in Israel’s National library.

“If Israel wants to ban books, it should publish a list of which books are permitted and which are prohibited,” he remarked.

He further revealed that last month, his son and grandson were also arrested and detained for several days without any legal authorization.