East Jerusalem's Educational Bookshop, a pillar of intellectual life, is now facing trouble.  Is this raid by police is a result of reading too many books? Police showed up at the bookshop on Sunday and accused the owners of selling books that spread hate. They were also suspicious about selling books that supports terrorism.

        The bookstore, known for its Arabic and English books about the Israel-Palestinian conflict, is located in a part of the city that Palestinians claim as their future capital.

        In a move that makes you wonder, the police picked and chose the books they took.  Are police allowed to do this?  Their suspicious behavior  raised eyebrows.  Authors?  Nah, they did not ask.  Instead, police snatch more books using Google Translate.  Books were seized for no clear reason.  Why would books be too dangerous to read?

        Most of the books taken were about the conflict. Some even had pro-Palestinian titles. There were even books for children, to top it all, Like "From the River to the Sea" the book claimed to be encouraging violence in kids.  But First, nobody knows what to do with the books. Where did the books go?

         The owners of the store, Ahmed and Mahmoud Muna, were arrested, and the store was forced to shut down.

        It's not just one bookstore.  Last week, another Palestinian-owned bookstore in East Jerusalem was raided by Israeli Police.  Turns out the bookshop isn't the first.

        The tensions have reached a boiling point.  Jerusalem is a controversial territory.  Palestinians claim it as their capital, while Israel sees it as their own.  Prime Minister Netanyahu insists that Israel must have control over all the territory and dismisses the idea of a Palestinian state.

        Hamas, a Palestinian militant group,  sparked some trouble in October 2023.  The attack led to a war in Gaza.  This event changed the landscape of the conflict and never really eased down tensions.  The violence has hit hard.   Thousands of lives have been lost since the fighting began.  Not just soldiers, but civilians as well. Both sides have suffered greatly.  The Governor of Gaza claims that more than half of the victims have been innocent people.  Children are the most vulnerable.

        The facts speak for themselves.  The last major peace talks happened more than a decade ago.  If the situation doesn't improve, East Jerusalem will continue to are in crisis. latest incident shows the deep divisions between the Israelis and Palestinians.

        The owners of the bookstore were in court on Monday.  However, the judge denied the plea of their release and they will be under police custody for crimes they did not do.  Police will investigate further if required.  As if this is not enough, the spokesman for the Israel police accused the books of being a clear danger.  Can a book be too dangerous?  Don't you think that the police is now becoming a bigger danger than books?  Needless to say the books have become too risky for the public, but perhaps it was the wrong way of looking at things.

        The Educational Bookshop, established 40 years ago, serves as a hub for intellectual activities and hosts cultural events.  Books are used to demand freedom.    It is a well-known favorite among researchers, journalists, and foreign diplomats.  It is the center of intellectual and cultural life in the Palestinian community.

Books Under Fire: The Jerusalem Bookstore Raid

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