Arna Mer-Khamis was born in 1929, in
Rosh Pinna, at the time
Mandate Palestine. Mer-Khamis's father was
Gideon Mer, a Lithuanian-born Jewish scientist who pioneered the study of malaria during the British Mandate. She attended high school in
Tiberias as well as
Ben Shemen Youth Village, and was active in the
Gordonia youth movement. Mer-Khamis fought with the
Palmach and
Israel Defense Forces during the
1948 Arab-Israeli War. Mer-Khamis married Saliba Khamis, a Christian Arab and a prominent member of
Maki. After marrying Khamis, they moved to
Nazareth, where Mer-Khamis was arrested and imprisoned for two weeks due to entering the city without a permit. Juliano, an actor, filmmaker, and peace activist who was murdered in 2011, directed the film ''
Arna's Children'' about Mer-Khamis's work with the Freedom Theatre. ==Political activism==