Israel Police raided a well-known east Jerusalem bookshop on Tuesday and arrested the 61-year-old co-owner, Haartez reported.
The family of the co-owner, Imad Muna, who managed the store, told Haaretz that the police confiscated books and placed an order for the store to be closed, all without a search or arrest warrant.
Last month, the police arrested Muna’s brother, Mahmoud, and Muna’s son, Ahmad. They held them for a couple of days without the approval to launch an investigation from the Israeli State Attorney's Office.
Additionally, Haaretz reported that the east Jerusalem book store, The Educational Bookshop, specialized in books that discussed the Israel-Palestine conflict and the history of Jerusalem.
"At 11:15 a.m., the police arrived at the store, and my parents were there at the time," Ahmad Muna explained to Haaretz how the arrest went down. "The police asked for the business licenses and reviewed the account books. I arrived, but they wouldn't let me in. They went through the books, stacked a pile of books that they took."
The police confiscated books by British artist Banksy, linguist Noam Chomsky, historian Ilan Pappé, and more. "After an hour, they arrested my father, told my mother to close the store, and took the key. They didn't tell us which station they were taking my father to."
Same books at the National Library?
"All the books in the store are also in Israel's National Library," Mahmoud Muna told Haaretz after his release last month.
"We challenge the Israeli narrative, but also the Palestinian narrative. We believe we have a responsibility to our society and our mission, and we will continue. If Israel wants to start censoring books, it should publish a list of what is allowed and what is forbidden to read," he said.
Rights organizations protest the last raid
According to Imad Muna, officers said the raid targeted material that incites violence, though he dismissed the allegations as baseless.
According to Haaretz, police later revised the allegations – downgrading the charge from incitement to suspicion of disturbing public order – and arrested Mahmoud and Ahmad. The two attended a hearing at the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court, and the police requested an eight-day extension of their custody.
The police responded to this report on Wednesday, noting, it had "received a report from a caller who stated that he had observed books containing inciting content at a bookstore in Jerusalem.
"Upon arrival at the scene, officers seized three books and temporarily detained an individual present at the location to verify his identity and the details of the store. Following the verification process, the individual was released."
"The police have initiated a review of the books, and based on the findings, a determination will be made on whether to refer the matter to the State Attorney’s Office for further investigation into the suspected sale of inciting materials."
"The Israel Police remains committed to conducting a thorough and professional examination of the case to ensure that the facts are fully established," the statement read.