In the late afternoon of 19th July, Mahmoud Muna, often referred to as the “bookseller of Jerusalem”, sat observing the live proceedings of the International Court of Justice from his bookshop located in East Jerusalem. The court was issuing an advisory statement, declaring the Israeli control over East Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories as against international law. Muna couldn’t help but smile.
Muna recognised the significance of the ruling. For Palestinians, like himself, it offered a renewed sense of optimism. He reflected on the importance of the rule of law, the existence of international structures, and people’s capacity to discern the actual state of things. It wasn’t solely about the might of America and its influence. However, he was mindful that the court’s ruling was purely advisory and it might not translate into concrete action.
The atmosphere in East Jerusalem, predominantly inhabited by Arabs, was tense, according to Muna. The Israeli suppression had intensified since the previous October, particularly against those who voiced their opinions. An Israeli online periodical, +972, reported in January that hundreds of Palestinians had either been arrested or questioned, mostly in relation to their social media activity after the attacks led by Hamas on 7th October the previous year.
Muna’s family owned three bookstores trading under the name Educational Bookshop; two dealing in English language books whilst the other stocked Arabic literature. Literature, art, history, and politics were among the nearly 1,600 different titles available in these shops.
Muna’s robust family of nine, including six brothers, a sister, and their parents – the original founders of the bookshop, held daily discussions about books and trendings writings at their dinner table. The Educational Bookshop was initially known as the Palestine Educational Bookshop, run by the family of renowned Palestinian scholar and author Edward Said. However, it had to shut down post the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. Muna’s father revived the bookstore under the current name in the same location during the 1980s, after it became unlawful to use “Palestine” in commercial names.
Currently at 41 years of age, Muna was raised in that region. He pursued education in the UK prior to going back to Jerusalem, there he incorporated a cultural programme into the familial enterprise. He emphasises the signifance of hosting events in the West Bank, under occupation, as limitations imposed by Israeli mobility restrict some individuals from reaching Jerusalem.
In Muna’s perception, writing embodies the struggle that the Palestinians go through. He views a poem written by a Palestinian as an act of protest, and a Palestenian artist’s work as a journalistic commentary on the scenario. He believes that any artistic or cultural endeavour undertaken by Palestinians can be seen as a form of opposition.
Against the backdrop of challenged Palestinian humanity, Muna points out that they can fall back on their literature, music, culinary traditions, dance, performing arts, theatre, and more. According to him, each of these aspects highlight their deep-rooted historical existence.
Muna has been working on a book titled ‘Daybreak in Gaza: Stories of Palestinian Lives and Culture’ since the month of January. This book is set to go to the printer shortly after our meeting and is anticipated to be published by Saqi Books come October. It features glimpses of different individuals – artists, acrobats, medics, educationists, merchants and tutors from Gaza.
Muna reveals that, following the Israeli attack on Gaza, the book project became a kind of natural response for him in his capacity as a bookseller. Despite feeling uneasy about having written a book amidst such a crisis, he feels a strong desire to provide a platform for Gazans and narrate their stories amid the ongoing destruction in their lives.
Muna also acknowledges that conditions have become increasingly challenging in East Jerusalem, both financially and politically. He believes the emotional impact is the hardest to bear. Looking into the future, he predicts widespread trauma as a result of the ongoing conflict, extending even beyond Gaza, where nearly 40,000 Palestinians have lost their lives according to reports from the health ministry managed by Hamas in the region. Muna shares that the knowledge of having observed, experienced and stood by during these events is particularly distressing.
He accommodates a diverse customer base in his stores. Overseas visitors show interest in understanding the conflict, while Palestinians, being already familiar with their own narrative, exhibit lesser interest in reading about themselves. According to him, their preferences lie in literature pertaining to gender, masculinity, sexual orientation, international political strategy, personal growth, and globally-derived historical fiction. Of late, he’s noticed an upward trend in Israeli patrons at his stores. These Israelis, he notes, show openness to exploring different perspectives.