America’s first Palestinian bookstore arrives in LA: ‘A cultural act of resistance’
Watermelon Books, described as the first Palestinian bookstore in the United States, officially launched Saturday at the cultural center Holy Ground in Los Angeles. The project was introduced as a “cultural act of resistance” in a promotional video released last month.
“Imagine 1,000 titles about Palestine and other liberation struggles all under one roof,” said entrepreneur and activist Mary Nazzal in the clip.
According to organizers, the Los Angeles shop is Watermelon’s second location, joining an existing outpost in Amman, Jordan.
“This is the next chapter—bringing that vision to the United States and expanding an international cultural project grounded in Palestinian life, history, and imagination,” Holy Ground said in a statement. “This is how we protect what the world keeps trying to erase.”
Representatives from Holy Ground did not respond to requests for additional comment.
A LaunchGood crowdfunding campaign describes Watermelon as more than a bookstore. “It’s about creating a permanent home for Palestinian literary, historical, and cultural expression at a moment when Palestinian life and history are under sustained assault,” the campaign reads.
The very first Palestinian bookstore in the US opens tomorrow in LA ✨ pic.twitter.com/scOp7dgfbW
— Linda Mamoun (@mamoun_linda) February 21, 2026
Organizers say the space will also serve as a communal gathering place, hosting reading circles, poetry nights, film screenings, panel discussions, and book launches.
Proceeds from book sales and on-site donations will support expanding the store’s collection and paying featured artists and performers. All profits from the opening weekend were slated for donation to the Gaza Soup Kitchen, which the organizers say provides meals to families in Gaza “with love and dignity.”
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