The Murder of Mer Khamis

Juliano Mer Khamis was a mixed-race theatre artist and peace activist living and working in the West Bank. Sadly he has paid the ultimate price for his outspokenness.

An Israeli actor and peace activist who ran a drama project in a Palestinian refugee camp has been shot dead by masked men, metres from the theatre he founded. Juliano Mer Khamis, 52, had received threats for his work in Jenin in the northern West Bank but continued to divide his time between Jenin and Haifa in the north of Israel. Witnesses said he was shot five times.....

While his work was widely appreciated by Palestinians, his bringing together of young men and women angered conservative Muslim elements in Jenin. In addition to threats, fire bombs were thrown at the theatre. However the project was supported by local militants.

It doesn't take much to make theatre very dangerous sometimes.

More about this fascinating actor/director and what he was able to achieve here, in Time.