An army source quoted by the Jerusalem Post today said there are about 1,100 titles on the list of books banned in the occupied territories by the Israeli authorities. The source gave no further details and the Post said it has been unable to obtain a copy of the list.
The issue was raised in the Knesset several days. ago by Labor MK Abba Eban who said about 2,000 books were on the proscribed list and asked Defense Minister Ariel Sharon to explain why they were banned. Menachem Milson, who heads the new civil administration on the West Bank denounced as “lies” press reports here and abroad that the banned books include George Orwell’s “1984,” Alon Moore-head’s books on the Nile and Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice.” The book ban was originally questioned publicly by Ori Bernstein, a Tel Aviv industrialist and writer.
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