The Israeli occupation authorities closed the Scientific Library on Salah El-Din Street in occupied Jerusalem, and arrested its owners, brothers Mahmoud and Ahmed Muna, on the pretext of selling “inciting” books.
This measure is part of a series of targeting Palestinian libraries in recent weeks to impose more restrictions on intellectual and cultural freedoms in the occupied city.
Israeli attacks on Palestinian libraries have increased over the past weeks as the occupation forces closed two libraries in the Old City of Jerusalem, and arrested their owners under the same pretext, earlier this month.
The occupation also imposed heavy fines on the owners of the targeted libraries, and issued administrative orders to close them for varying periods.
The occupation forces stormed the Scientific Library on Sunday afternoon after obtaining a search warrant issued by the Israeli Magistrate’s Court, and confiscated a number of books and publications.
The lawyer of the library owners reported that the occupation authorities had submitted a request to extend the detention of the two Muna siblings for 8 days, despite not providing sufficient legal evidence to support their claims regarding the confiscated books.
These attacks sparked widespread reactions, as a number of European diplomats attended the trial of the two Muna brothers, expressing their concern about the increasing restrictions on Palestinian cultural institutions.
The French Consulate considered the targeting of Palestinian libraries in Jerusalem a “flagrant violation of freedom of expression and democratic values,” calling for the immediate release of the detainees.
The closure of Palestinian libraries is part of a policy of restricting intellectual and cultural freedoms in Jerusalem, where many cultural institutions have previously been subjected to similar targeting.
In addition to the repeated attacks on the Yabous Cultural Center and the confiscation of books bearing Palestinian national symbols, the occupation authorities continued their war on Palestinian educational curricula, claiming that they contain “incitement” content.
Through these policies, the occupation seeks to obliterate the Palestinian narrative and impose its control over the cultural scene in Jerusalem by suppressing any activity that enhances the Palestinian national identity.
The international community must urgently intervene to protect Palestinian cultural institutions and ensure freedom of thought and expression in Jerusalem.
Libraries and cultural institutions in Jerusalem remain an integral part of the Palestinian identity, and should never be eliminated, as Jerusalemites have a right to resist these policies by adhering to their culture and defending their right to knowledge and existence.
