In the wake of the news that the Israeli army raided the Educational Bookshop in East Jerusalem and detained its owners for a second time, NIF CEO Daniel Sokatch released the following statement:  

Today’s raid by the Israeli police on the Educational Bookshop in East Jerusalem, owned by the Muna family, was executed without a warrant. It was the second raid in the span of a month. This amounts to political persecution, full stop.

This bookstore is one of the great bookstores of Jerusalem. It has been a hub of learning and co-existence for years, welcoming tourists and locals alike including many NIF staff and supporters. It is a place where everyone is free to learn and to speak. Shutting it down, and arresting its owners is of a piece with the Netanyahu government’s efforts to silence dissenting voices in Israel, especially when they are Palestinian.

As Mahmoud Muna has said, “all the books in the store are also in Israel’s National Library…If Israel wants to start censoring books, it should publish a list of what is allowed and what is forbidden to read.” We at NIF will stand against censorship, and every other move to stifle Israelis and Palestinians freedom of speech, freedom of thought, and freedom of conscience every step of the way.

Today is a good day to buy a book from the Educational Bookshop’s online store, here.