
For years Munther Fahmi has been living in the city of his birth on a series of tourist visas after his permanent residency lapsed. Now the authorities have warned they may not issue any more On the edge of the busy forecourt of Jerusalem’s world-famous American Colony hotel, Munther Fahmi is in his usual spot; sitting in the bookshop that has become a haven of tolerance for scholars in a bitterly divided city. For 13 years, Fahmi has lined his shelves with works of history and literature, written by Arabs, Jews and scholars from around the world. Over that time, he has created what has been described as “the only decent English-language bookshop in the country”. “It’s the most enjoyable thing I have ever done in my life. It has been such a part of the life of Jerusalem,” he told the Observer . “I really did not fully appreciate how much until it was under

For years Munther Fahmi has been living in the city of his birth on a series of tourist visas after his permanent residency lapsed. Now the authorities have warned they may not issue any more On the edge of the busy forecourt of Jerusalem’s world-famous American Colony hotel, Munther Fahmi is in his usual spot; sitting in the bookshop that has become a haven of tolerance for scholars in a bitterly divided city. For 13 years, Fahmi has lined his shelves with works of history and literature, written by Arabs, Jews and scholars from around the world. Over that time, he has created what has been described as “the only decent English-language bookshop in the country”. “It’s the most enjoyable thing I have ever done in my life. It has been such a part of the life of Jerusalem,” he told the Observer . “I really did not fully appreciate how much until it was under