26 Facts About Juliano Mer-Khamis

Juliano Mer-Khamis's father abandoned their household when he was 10 years old.

At the time of his death, Juliano Mer-Khamis was married to Jenny Nyman, a Finnish woman who did administrative and fundraising work for the Jenin theater.

Juliano Mer-Khamis gave birth to the twins a month after his death, and moved to Haifa to raise them.

Juliano Mer-Khamis served in the Israeli Defense Forces as a combat soldier in the Paratroopers Brigade.

Juliano Mer-Khamis was a volunteer, since the army did not send him his draft papers, and he was eager to fight for his country.

Juliano Mer-Khamis adopted his maternal surname, Mer, dropping the surname Khamis which identified him as an Arab and had caused him problems among fellow Jews.

Juliano Mer-Khamis didn't disagree, but countered that, 'I must see with my own eyes that they are really fascist'.

Juliano Mer-Khamis said that while his squad was engaged in night-time firing practice they shot a shoulder missile at a donkey, accidentally killing a young girl seated on it.

Juliano Mer-Khamis said that a load of explosives were left on the donkey to cover up the incident.

Juliano Mer-Khamis recalls beating up Palestinian protestors after they refused to disperse.

Juliano Mer-Khamis's release was won by the direct intervention of Isser Harel, who was his mother's cousin.

Juliano Mer-Khamis made an appearance in The Little Drummer Girl, a film which deals with Palestinian terrorism.

Juliano Mer-Khamis protested against Israel's response to the First Intifada by stripping himself and walking about covered in fake blood.

Juliano Mer-Khamis's host was a former student, Ala'a Sabbagh, then aged 22, leader of Jenin's Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, and he spent several months on patrol with men on Israel's hit list, and in hideouts, with Sabbagh and Zakaria Zubeidi, whose mother had been killed in April 2002 by an Israeli sniper who perhaps mistook her for her son Tata, who was shot dead an hour later.

Juliano Mer-Khamis made a film on the period, Arna's Children, released in 2004.

Juliano Mer-Khamis was married to Jenny Nyman, a Finnish activist he met in Haifa in May 2006.

Juliano Mer-Khamis's first film, The Little Drummer Girl, was an American thriller from 1984 directed by George Roy Hill and starring Diane Keaton, which dealt with the Israeli-Arab conflict.

Juliano Mer-Khamis starred in Avi Nesher's film, Za'am V'Tehilah.

Juliano Mer-Khamis appeared in several films by Amos Gitai: Kedma, Esther and Kippur.

In 2002, Juliano Mer-Khamis was nominated for the Ophir Award for Best Actor for his role in Kedma.

Juliano Mer-Khamis performed on stage with Beit Lessin Theater and Habima Theatre.

In 2006, following a wave of international support which was followed by his film, Juliano Mer-Khamis opened a community theater for children and adults in Jenin, called The Freedom Theatre.

In 2006, Juliano Mer-Khamis established The Freedom Theatre along with Zakaria Zubeidi, a former military leader of the Jenin Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, Jonatan Stanczak, a Swedish-Israeli activist, and Dror Feiler, a Swedish-Israeli artist.

Juliano Mer-Khamis was shot by masked gunmen while leaving the theater he had founded in Jenin.

Juliano Mer-Khamis had just started to drive away in his Citroen, with his baby son Jay on his lap, when a masked gunman emerged from a nearby alley and asked him to stop.

Juliano Mer-Khamis was rushed to the Jenin Hospital, where he was pronounced dead after his arrival.