The Library of Congress has recently received additions to an important collection from the Embassy of Israel. The new acquisition comprising 57 videos, eight DVDs, one music CD, eight monographs and 14 serials complements more than 100 items in the Embassy of Israel Collection, which was first presented to the Library in 1997 by Israeli Ambassador to the United States Eliahu Ben-Elissar.
Among the films are "Seeds of Hatred" and "Ticking Bomb," which deal with terrorism. Others, such as "Time for Peace," encourage peaceful coexistence for Israel and its Arab neighbors. The book and serial collection contain important research documents ranging from those dealing with the transfer of funds to terrorist organizations to the analysis of the content of elementary school textbooks in Syria. The music CD captures the sounds of Samaritan musical ensembles in the Holy Land.
"The Library greatly appreciates these additions to the Embassy of Israel Collection," said Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. "These important items will supplement the Library's existing collections that document Israeli culture and related issues."
The collection covers a variety of subjects, including culture and society, the Holocaust, Jerusalem, the Israeli Defense Forces, international cooperation and peace initiatives. The material also covers the current political situation in the Middle East, including the explosion of violence in the region and the phenomenon of suicide bombers.
This material is provided under the terms of a Feb. 19, 1950, agreement between the United States and Israel (Treaties and Other International Acts Series 2169), under which the official publications of Israeli government agencies are made available to the Library of Congress.
Until recently, only paper copies of documents, microfiche and video formats were exchanged. With advances in modern technology, alternative formats such as DVDs and CDs are now available via exchange from government and non-governmental sources in Israel.
These recent additions to the Embassy of Israel Collection will be cataloged and made accessible to researchers and scholars worldwide on the Library's online public catalog (OPAC), at http://catalog.loc.gov.