“We are meeting at the New York Theatre Workshop at 6PM to hold each others’ hands,” says a friend. That’s 79 East 4th St. Please say a prayer for Juliano for me too, that’s where I met the handsome charismatic darer.

Statement from the Jenin Freedom Theatre friends:

The board members of The Friends of the Jenin Freedom Theatre are shocked and saddened to learn of the murder of Juliano Mer Khamis, director of The Freedom Theater, in Jenin.

Juliano, who never wavered in his opposition to the Israeli occupation of Palestine, devoted and ultimately gave his life to the Palestinian people. He followed in the footsteps of his mother, Arna Mer who had established The Learning Project to help the children of the Jenin refugee camp deal with the trauma and brutality of Israel’s response to the first Palestinian intifada.

In co-founding The Freedom Theatre with Zakaria Zubeidi, Juliano put art and culture in the service of resistance to Israel’s occupation of Palestine. Since it opened its doors in 2006, The Freedom Theatre has brought theater productions, filmmaking, cinema, drama therapy, acting instruction, creative writing, photography instruction and much more to the Jenin refugee camp.

Founded on little more than a shoestring and a belief in the urgency of cultural resistance to occupation, The Freedom Theatre has attracted major support from supporters in Europe, the US, the Gulf States, and the United Nations.

Juliano was the artistic vision and inspiration of The Freedom Theatre. His murder, by an unidentified man, is both a tragedy and a reminder of the urgent need for unity in the struggle for freedom. We extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to Juliano’s wife and children, and to his partners and students at The Freedom Theater. We are steadfast in our support of its important work.