Bokhandlerforeningen fordømmer raidet på den palestinske bokhandelen Educational Bookshop i Øst-Jerusalem 9. februar. Under raidet ble bokhandelens eiere arrestert og holdt i varetekt over natten.

Bokhandelen skal være en fredelig møteplass som tilbyr bøker av, for og om alle. Bøker gir kunnskap, perspektiver, glede, og bidrar til å øke kritisk tenkning og styrke ytringsfrihet. Slik styrker den også demokratiet.

Educational Bookshop har i flere tiår vært et sentralt samlingspunkt for litteratur og debatt i Jerusalem. Med sine tre filialer er den en veletablert institusjon i lokalsamfunnet, og når frem til lesere med ulik religiøs, kulturell og etnisk bakgrunn. Gjennom et bredt utvalg av bøker på engelsk og arabisk bidrar den til å fremme kunnskap, mangfold og ytringsfrihet under krevende politiske forhold.

Bokhandlerforeningen er en del av Den Europeiske og Internasjonale Bokhandlerforening (EIBF) og støtter deres opprop mot raidet på palestinske bokhandler:

EIBF condemns raids on Palestinian bookshops

On the 9th of February, Israeli police raided the Palestinian-owned bookshop Educational Bookshop in East Jerusalem, arresting and detaining two of its owners overnight, booksellers Mahmoud Muna and his nephew Ahmed Muna, according to media reports.

The Educational Bookshop has been an iconic venue and cultural hub for decades, providing access to a wide range of books both in English and Arabic, promoting diversity, the circulation of knowledge, and freedom of speech. The bookshop is also considered to be key in maintaining the vibrancy of Palestinian intellectual and cultural life amidst tense political circumstances. With its three store locations, it stands as an established value in the local Jerusalem community, with a customer base including readers of diverse religious, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds.

EIBF and our community of booksellers firmly believe in Freedom of Expression as a fundamental human right and the cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Reading books is not only enjoyable – it also promotes the exchange of knowledge, it leads to new ideas, and it encourages critical thinking. Bookshops are open, inclusive, welcoming spaces for everyone and they shouldn’t be targeted for doing what they do best: providing a space where literacy is promoted, and a diverse range of books and ideas can coexist and thrive. It is fundamental that booksellers who operate them shouldn’t be silenced, censored, or threatened solely for providing this invaluable service to their community.

EIBF’s Freedom of Expression Charter stands as a declaration of our unwavering commitment to safeguarding the rights of booksellers and the vital role they play in ensuring that knowledge remains free and accessible to all. Furthermore, our recent Industry Insights research paper highlights the critical role bookshops play in fostering an environment where diverse ideas can thrive, contributing to cultural and intellectual exchange across borders.

For these reasons, we condemn any acts of violence and oppression against booksellers and bookshops who are simply fulfilling their core mission of fostering Freedom of Expression, tolerance, and peaceful exchange of ideas.