The Knesset Archives Archival Retrieval Systems

Overview

The Knesset Archives is the parliamentary archive of the Knesset, the Israeli legislature. Its online Archival Retrieval Systems enable researchers and the public to search through the historical records of the Israeli parliament, including plenary records, committee minutes, and audiovisual collections.

History and Background

The Knesset, Israel's unicameral parliament, was established following Israel's independence in 1948. The Knesset Archives preserves the documentary heritage of the legislature since its inception. The archive is led by a Director and includes specialist units for declassification and parliamentary records. In 2023, the Knesset hosted an international conference of the Section on Parliamentary and Political Archives (SPP) of the International Council on Archives (ICA) on audiovisual collections in parliamentary archives.

Collections and Holdings

The archive holds plenary session records, committee minutes, legislative files, photographs, sound recordings, and video documentation of parliamentary proceedings. Knesset committee minutes are generally declassified after 25 years, with Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee records sealed for 30 years. The archive is part of the Archive Network Israel (IL-KNES-ARC).

Access and Usage

The Archival Retrieval Systems are accessible online via the Knesset's website at main.knesset.gov.il. Physical access to the archive is available at the Knesset building in Jerusalem.