Israel bans Harry Potter imports
Arab-Israeli publisher Salah Abassi has been ordered (via) to stop importing Arabic-language children’s books, such as Harry Potter and Pinocchio, from Syria and Lebanon. The ban also includes Arabic classics.
The ban is based on a 1939 decree - when the area was under British mandate - prohibiting the importation of books from hostile countries. According to Abassi, however, the Arabic translations of many of these books can be found only in Lebanon and Syria.
“If they were printed in Jordan or Egypt, which are friendly to Israel, I would lose no time in buying them there. Now the significance is that the Arabic reading public in Israel will not be able to enjoy the best literature,” he said.
Tuesday 12 Aug 2008 | Paul | Israel
