Valuable sources

Bookshops are a way of life. They provide readers with means to know themselves and discover their role in an uncertain world. For peoples struggling towards nationhood books are a valuable source of identity and patriotism.

This is why the Israeli plainclothes police conducted a raid on two of the Educational Bookshops in occupied East Jerusalem on Feb.9 and briefly detained for two days in jail and five days at home Mahmoud Muna and his nephew Ahmed. The charge was “public disorder.” An Israeli police statement said they were “suspected of selling books containing incitement and support for terrorism at bookstores in Jerusalem.”

Mahmoud Muna told US National Public Radio, “We have books that present the Palestinian story, sure. We also have books that present part of the Israeli story as well. This is not my personal wish list of a library. This is a bookstore that presents different voices along different political lines for different readership to read and learn things that they did not know.”

Israeli hardliners say Palestinians must not be allowed to declare their identity, write about their history, or show their flag. For many Israelis, the words “Palestine” and “Palestinian” de-legitimise Israel’s conquest, occupation, and appropriation of the ancient land of Palestine.

Officers tossed books suspected of subversion into trash bags and emptied onto the floor shelves of books, notebooks, and office supplies. As they did not know Arabic, English, German or French, the Israelis used Google translate on their mobile phones to scan the titles of books as they might be guilty of incitement. A Palestinian flag or map was clearly guilty. Among the books seized were works by world famous US academic Noam Chomsky, Israeli dissident Ilan Pappe, and British graffiti artist Banksy. The most flagrant violator was a children’s colouring book entitled, “From the River to the Sea,” by South African illustrator Nathi Ngubane. This phrase puts forward the Palestinian claim to the Palestinian homeland occupied by Israel and is employed by Israelis to lay claim to the territory they rule.

Three hundred books were confiscated for scrutinising. All but eight, including the colouring book, were returned as it was determined that they were not seen as incitement. Israeli bookstores in West Jerusalem carry many of the same books on regional history and political affairs stocked by the Munas. A third branch at the renown American Colony Hotel was not raided, presumably because too many affluent foreigners stay in the hotel and could witness such an offensive operation.

The UN Special Rapporteur for Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, was “shocked by the raid” on the bookstore which she called “an intellectual lighthouse and family-run gem resisting Palestinian erasure under apartheid.” She called the international community in Jerusalem to “show up, stand with the Muna family, and protect this vital hub.”

This is precisely what foreign diplomats and residents, and Palestinian and Israeli Jerusalemites did as soon as the bookshops reopened in order to protest the raid by buying books.

The Muna family began its book business modestly 40 years ago on Salaheddin Street with one bookshop which sold school supplies, stationery, notebooks, and Arabic school texts. While patriarch Ahmad Muna, then an old gentleman ran this shop, his four sons branched out across the street by establishing a fantastic bookstore focusing on Palestine, the Arab-Israeli conflict, Israel, and the region. On the third floor is a charming cafe where customers can sip coffee and tea while deciding which books to buy or passersby can find a refuge from busy days. The bookshop serves as a cultural centre for East Jerusalemites by organising book launches, talks, and films and cooperates with the French centre next door by providing Arabic classes.

Mahmoud Muna is a writer as well as a book seller. He has co-edited with Matthew Teller, a collection entitled “Daybreak in Gaza.” In a recent article for the London Review of Books, Muna recommended Rashid Khalidi’s “The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine,” Ian Black’s ” Enemies and Neighbours” and Phyllis Bennis’ “Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Primer.”

Fifteen years ago, the Munas celebrated the Educational Bookshops 25th anniversary with a street party between the two stores. Scores of people from the foreign community, the neighbourhood and further afield gathered for pastries, chilled drinks and chat. I still have the mug given to guests although the message was worn off by multiple washings. Nevertheless, I always remember the Munas when I use the mug - which is often.

Why wait for decades to target the Educational Bookshops? During this period Israel has shifted steadily to the right. Israel’s current coalition government is the most right-wing ever. The raid on the bookshop was another incident in a concerted effort to smother Palestinian identity and culture. Three years ago, an East Jerusalem school strike thwarted Israeli pressure to censor Palestinian textbooks and adopt an Israeli curriculum. Five years ago, Israeli forces raided the Yabous Cultural Centre and The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music, carrying away documents, phones, and computers. Israel has long waged a campaign to close Al-Hakawati, the Palestinian National Theatre located off Salaheddin Street .

In recent months, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has closed offices of Al-Jazeera in East Jerusalem and the West Bank and banned Associated Press live coverage from Gaza, citing wartime regulations. He has stepped up efforts to manipulate and muzzle the Israeli press. In November, his government approved a decision to financially punish the liberal daily Haaretz by forbidding official advertising and subscriptions. Haaretz has been highly critical of Netanyahu, particularly of his handling of the Gaza war and rampaging West Bank settlers. His ministers had earlier tried to shut down Israeli public broadcaster Kan and had adopted bills calling for shuttering of media accused of endangering “the security of the state of Israel.”

Photo: TNS