Juliano Mer-Khamis, a well-known Israeli-Arab actor, was shot dead by Palestinian gunmen in the West Bank city of Jenin.
Mer-Khamis, whose mother was an Israeli-Jewish activist for Palestinian rights and father was a Christian Palestinian, was killed Monday after being shot five times while driving in his car, according to reports.
Mer-Khamis, 53, reportedly had received death threats after establishing the Freedom Theater in a Jenin refugee camp. The theater, a popular cultural center in the camp, has been the target of several firebomb attacks since its establishment five years ago, Ynet reported.
He had been called a “fifth column” in a pamphlet distributed in the refugee camp in 2009, according to Ynet.
Mer-Khamis was well-known for his film and theater roles in Israel and abroad. He was born and raised in Nazareth.
