Ex-Libris" by Gish Amit, and translated into Arabic by Ala Hlehel, is a critical examination of the appropriation of cultural assets by the Israeli National Library. A significant portion of the book delves into the 1948 looting of tens of thousands of Palestinian books, documents, and manuscripts from libraries in Jerusalem.
Amit uncovers the methods and justifications behind these "operations," revealing the library's role in amassing Jewish cultural treasures left by Holocaust victims and misappropriating cultural artifacts from Yemenite Jews who migrated to Israel. The book exposes the strategies used for looting and the mechanisms that kept these actions concealed, often under the guise of academic impartiality.
Through his investigation, Amit deconstructs the orientalist mindset that disregarded the victim's ability to protect their possessions. He highlights the internal and external conflicts that accompanied this looting, illustrating how academic research often intersects with politics, war, and power.
The book also sheds light on the history of the Israeli National Library, its founding researchers, and academics, even before the establishment of Israel. Amit's thorough research provides invaluable insights for those interested in the political and cultural conflict between Israel and Palestine, as well as the multifaceted applications and historical complexities of Zionism in Palestine.
About the author:
Gish Amit holds degrees from the University of Tel-Aviv (BA, Philosophy) and from Ben-Gurion University (MA, PhD, Hebrew Literature). Between 2007 and 2011, he gave courses on cultural aspects of the Zionist movement at Ben-Gurion University.
