West Bank mourns slain Palestinian-Israeli activist and theater director

West Bank mourns slain Palestinian-Israeli activist and theater director

2011-04-06 00:52:35 GMT+7 (ICT)

JENIN, WEST BANK (BNO NEWS) -- Residents of Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank gathered on Tuesday to mourn and condemn the murder of the founder of a theater for Palestinian children, Palestine News Network reported.

Residents, along with community leaders and officials, gathered at the Freedom Theatre to commemorate Juliano Mer-Khamis, who was killed on Monday afternoon. Unidentified gunmen stopped his car near the theater and shot him in the chest.

"We are shocked beyond words our loss is so great," Nabil al-Ra'ee, head of the acting school of Freedom Theatre, said.

"We pray that the attacker be found soon; we will continue to work for Juliano's dream—he always said that the revolution most continue. His spirit will live on among us; we will continue to work to send a clear message to those killers that our work will not stop even if you kill us."

Qadura Mussa, governor of Jenin, said he has launched a criminal investigation that include members from all Palestinian security forces.

Mussa added that Juliano Mer-Khamis, an actor and filmaker born of Jewish and Palestinian parents, lived in Jenin camp for many years, and he was much loved by the community.

Political groups, local groups and NGOs have condemned the killing and called upon the Palestinian Authority to bring the attacker to justice.

The UN Mideast peace envoy Robert Serry also condemned the murder, saying Mer-Khamis was "a symbol of coexistence and peace."

Mer-Khamis's mother was a Jewish human rights activist and his father was Palestinian Christian. In 2006, Mer-Khamis continued his mother's community work in Jenin by creating the Freedom Theatre, a community theatre that helps the children and youth of the refugee camp living under Israeli occupation.

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