List of Israelis
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This is a list of prominent Israelis (including Arab citizens of Israel).
Contents |
[edit] Historical figures
[edit] Politicians
- See also: List of Israeli politicians
- Haim Weizmann - first President of Israel (1949-52)
- David Ben-Gurion - first Prime Minister of Israel (1948-54, 1955-63)
- Moshe Sharett - prime minister (1954-55)
- Levi Eshkol - prime minister (1963-69)
- Abba Eban - diplomat and Foreign Affairs Minister of Israel (1966-1974)
- Golda Meir - prime minister (1969-74)
- Yitzhak Rabin - assassinated prime minister (1974-77, 1992-95); Nobel Peace Prize (1994)
- Menachem Begin - prime minister (1977-83); Nobel Peace Prize (1978)
- Yitzhak Shamir - prime minister (1983-84, 1986-92)
- Shimon Peres - prime minister (1984-86, 1995-96); Nobel Peace Prize (1994)
- Benjamin Netanyahu - prime minister (1996-99)
- Ehud Barak - prime minister (1999-01)
- Moshe Katsav - current president (2000-)
- Ariel Sharon - prime minister (2001-2006)
- Ehud Olmert - current prime minister (2006-)
- Rehavam Zeevi - founder of the Moledet party (assassinated in October 2001)
- Yossi Beilin - leader of the Meretz-Yachad party & peace negotiator
- Yosef Lapid - former leader of the Shinui party
- Teddy Kollek - former mayor of Jerusalem
- Effie Eitam - former leader of the National Religious Party party, now head of the Renewed Religious National Zionist party
- Rabbi Ovadia Yosef - spiritual leader of the Shas party
- Amir Peretz - Former Chairman of the Labor Organization; Leader of the Labor party
[edit] Military
- Ron Arad - MIA navigator
- Gabi Ashkenazi - Chief of the IDF General Staff (2007 - )
- Eli Cohen - Israeli spy
- Wolfgang Lotz - Israeli spy
- Moshe Dayan - military leader
- Giora Epstein - combat pilot, modern-day "ace of aces"
- Yohai Ben-Nun - sixth commander of the Israeli Navy
- Dan Halutz - Chief of the IDF General Staff (2005 - 2007)
- Uziel Gal - designer of the Uzi submachine gun
- Tzvi Malkhin - Mossad agent, captured Adolf Eichmann
- Yonatan Netanyahu - Sayeret Matkal commando, leader of Operation Entebbe
- Ilan Ramon - astronaut on Columbia flight STS-107
- Avraham Stern - underground military leader
- Israel Tal - general, father of Merkava tank
- Gilad Shalit - Kidnapped Soldier Gaza 2006
- Ehud Goldwasser - Kidnapped Soldier Lebanon 2006
- Eldad Regev - Kidnapped Soldier Lebanon 2006
[edit] Activists
- Uri Avnery - peace activist, Gush Shalom
- Yael Dayan - writer, politician, activist
- Michael Dorfman Russian-Israeli essayist and human rights activist.
- Uzi Even - gay rights activist
- Nira Schwartz - TRW whistleblower, Wiener Award (2001)
- Uri Savir, peace negotiator, Peres Center for Peace
- Israel Shahak - political activist
- Natan Sharansky - Soviet-era human rights activist
- Alon Tal - Environmental activist
- Eli Wald - Prominent Zionist activist at the University of Illinois, and head of the movement to reinstate study abroad to Israel
[edit] Criminals
- See also: Category:Israeli criminals
- Yigal Amir - assassin of Yitzhak Rabin
- Nachman Farkash - gangster, noted for escaping jails
- Baruch Goldstein - massacred 29 Arabs in the Cave of the Patriarchs
- Ami Popper - murdered 7 Arabs
- Benny Sela - convicted serial rapist and escapee.
- Eden-Nathan Zada - an army defector who killed 4 people and wounded many others on a bus in Shfar'am
- Mordechai Vanunu - Disclosed details on Israel's nuclear program to British newspapers
[edit] Cultural figures
[edit] Film, TV, and stage
- See also: List of Israeli actors
- Gila Almagor - actress
- Lior Ashkenazi - actor
- Yvan Attal - actor, director (Israeli-born)
- Mili Avital - actress
- Aki Avni - actor
- Nir Bergman - director
- David Faitelson - Mexican television sports comentator (Israeli-born)
- Oded Fehr - actor
- Eytan Fox - director
- Uri Geller - TV personality, self-proclaimed psychic
- Ido Gideon - TV producer
- Amos Gitai - director
- Ralph Inbar, Dutch-born TV personality (Banana Split)
- Daphna Kastner, actress; married to actor Harvey Keitel
- Amos Kollek - director, writer
- Dover Kosashvili - director
- Hanna Laslo - actress
- Daliah Lavi - actress
- Ari Libsker - filmmaker
- Rod Lurie - director, film critic (Israeli-born)
- Amit Lior - writer
- Gad Lerner - journalist (currently living in Italy)
- Arnon Milchan - producer
- Ohad Naharin - choreographer
- Joseph Pitchhadze - director
- Eyal Podell - Actor
- Natalie Portman - actress (Israeli-born)
- Itamar Rose - filmmaker
- Haim Saban - TV producer
- Elia Suleiman - director
- Chaim Topol - actor
- Raviv Ullman - actor (Israeli-born)
- Haim Yavin - long-serving TV anchor
- Keren Yedaya - director
[edit] Fashion models
- Isabelle Adler
- Ofir Aloni - former model
- Moran Atias - top-model, showgirl
- Nina Brosh - model
- Bar Refaeli - model
[edit] Popular musicians
- See also: List of Israeli musical artists
- Chava Alberstein - singer/songwriter
- Yossi Amoyal - dance music producer & DJ
- Shlomo Artzi - singer/songwriter
- Ehud Banai
- Eef Barzelay - founder of Clem Snide
- Miri Ben-Ari - jazz & hip hop violinist
- Mike Brant - French-language singer
- David Broza - singer/songwriter
- Matti Caspi - singer, multi-instrumentalist and composer
- Avishai Cohen - jazz bassist
- Arik Einstein - singer, actor, writer
- Yuval Gabay - drummer for Soul Coughing
- Aviv Geffen - singer/songwriter
- Guy Gerber - composer, arranger, dance music producer & DJ
- Gidi Gov - singer
- Shlomo Gronich - singer and composer
- Sarit Hadad - Israeli singer
- Ofra Haza - singer
- Dana International - pop singer
- Ishtar - vocalist for Alabina
- Rafi Kadischsohn - arranger and orchestrator
- Amal Murkus - singer
- Ahinoam Nini (Noa) - singer
- Yael Nir - prominent Israeli artist
- Esther Ofarim - singer
- Guy Oseary - head of Maverick Records
- Idan Raichel - world fusion
- Yoni Rechter - composer and arranger
- Berry Sakharof - main Indie artist
- Naomi Shemer - songwriter
- Gene Simmons - bass player for KISS
- Hillel Slovak - original guitarist for Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Zeev Tene - singer\song writer
- Rika Zaraï, singer
- Nir Zidkyahu - drummer, briefly in Genesis
[edit] Classical musicians
- See also: List of Israeli classical composers
- Yariv Aloni - violist and conductor
- Moshe Atzmon - conductor
- Adi Bar - Pianist
- Daniel Barenboim - conductor and pianist
- Paul Ben-Haim - composer
- Bart Berman - pianist
- Gary Bertini - conductor
- Yefim Bronfman - pianist
- Michael Croitoru-Weissman - cellist
- Avner Dorman - composer
- Dror Elimelech - composer
- Dan Ettinger - conductor
- Giora Feidman - clarinetist
- Miriam Fried - violinist
- Ivry Gitlis - violinist
- Matt Haimovitz - cellist
- Aaron Harlap - composer and conductor
- Ofra Harnoy - cellist
- Eliahu Inbal - conductor
- Joseph Kalichstein - pianist
- Amir Katz - pianist
- Richard Lesser - clarinetist
- Yoel Levi - conductor
- Mischa Maisky - cellist
- Shlomo Mintz - violinist
- Itzhak Perlman - violinist
- Rony Rogoff - violinist and conductor
- Shulamit Ran - composer
- Gil Shaham - violinist
- Hagai Shaham - violinist
- Noam Sheriff - composer
- Gil Shohat - composer
- Mordechai Seter - composer
- Michael Shani - conductor
- Ilan Schul - clarinetist
- Josef Tal - composer
- Yoav Talmi - conductor
- Arie Vardi - pianist
- Pinchas Zukerman - violinist
- Sharon Kam - clarinetist
- Ori Kam - violist
[edit] Writers
- Shmuel Yosef Agnon - author, Nobel Prize in Literature (1966)
- Nathan Alterman - poet
- Yehuda Amichai - poet
- Zelda - poet
- Aharon Appelfeld - author, Prix Médicis étranger (2004)
- Mati Shemoelof - Poet & Editor & Journalist
- Roy Arad - Poet & Musician
- Hayyim Nahman Bialik - poet
- Max Brod - author, composer & friend of Kafka
- Orly Castel-Bloom - author
- Leah Goldberg - poet
- Uri Zvi Greenberg - poet
- David Grossman - writer
- Batya Gur - author
- Emile Habibi - author
- Amira Hass - journalist & author
- Shmuel Katz - author & journalist
- Etgar Keret - author
- Ephraim Kishon - satirist
- Hanoch Levin - playwright
- Julius Margolin, writer
- Aharon Megged - author
- Sami Michael - author
- Uri Orlev - author, Hans Christian Andersen Award (1996)
- Amos Oz - author & journalist, Goethe Prize (2005)
- Dalia Ravikovich - poet
- Rachel - poet
- Hannah Szenes - poet
- Meir Shalev - author & journalist
- Zeruya Shalev - author
- Moshe Shamir - author, poet
- Naomi Shemer - poet
- Avraham Shlonsky - poet
- Avraham Stern - poet
- A.B. Yehoshua - author
- Benny Ziffer - author, journalist and translator
- Abraham Sutzkever - Yiddish poet
- Yehonatan Geffen - author, poet and lyricist
- Nathan Zach - poet
- Samir Naqqash- novelist
[edit] Artists
- Yaacov Agam - kinetic artist
- Dubi Roman - Impressionist Photographer
- Michael Arad - architect
- Ron Arad - designer
- Gil Burstein - Industrial designer
- Mordecai Ardon - painter
- David Ascalon - sculptor & synagogue designer
- Maurice Ascalon - sculptor & industrial designer
- Isidor Ascheim - painter & printmaker
- Mordechai Avniel - painter & sculptor
- Yigal Azrouel - fashion designer
- Harry Baron - sculptor
- Ralph Bakshi - animation (director)
- Tuvia Beeri - printmaker
- Yitzhak Danziger - sculptor
- Alber Elbaz - fashion designer
- Yitzhak Frenkel - painter
- Gideon Gechtman - sculptor
- Dudu Geva - artist and comic-strip illustrator
- Leah Gottlieb - fashion designer (Gottex swimsuits)
- Nahum Gutman - painter
- Shimshon Holzman - painter
- Leo Kahn - painter
- Dani Karavan - sculptor
- Joseph Kossonogi - painter
- Elyasaf Kowner - video artist
- Sigalit Landau - video, installation, sculpture
- Rafi lavie - painter
- Ranan Lurie - political cartoonist
- Lea Nickel - painter
- Leo Roth - painter
- Michal Rovner - photographer, video art, installation
- Reuven Rubin - painter
- Moshe Safdie - architect
- Boris Schatz - sculptor
- Shaul Shats - painter
- Elie Tahari - fashion designer
- David Tartakover - graphic designer
- Anna Ticho - painter
- Gershom von Schwarze - painter & sculptor
- Moshe Ziffer - sculptor
- Ronit Zilkha - fashion designer
- Abba Richman - Photographer
[edit] Academic figures
Boldface font is used for laureates of a Nobel Prize or Turing Award.
[edit] Computing and mathematics
- Shmuel Agmon, mathematician,
- Noga Alon, mathematician,
- Shimshon Anitzur,
- Robert "Yisrael" J. Aumann - mathematical game theory; Nobel Prize in Economics (2005)
- Amir Ban & Shay Bushinsky - programmers of Junior (chess)
- Moshe Bar - creator & main developer of openMosix
- Yehoshua Bar-Hillel - machine translation
- Itai Ben Yaacov - Mathematical Logician
- Joseph Bernstein,
- Eli Biham - differential cryptanalysis
- Arie Dvoretzky,
- Abraham Fraenkel - ZF set theory
- Hillel Furstenberg,
- David Harel - computer science; Israel Prize (2004)
- Abraham Lempel & Jacob Ziv - LZW compression; Richard W. Hamming Medal (1995)
- Yoram Lidenstrauss,
- Michel Loève - probabilist (born in 1907 Palestine)
- Joel Moses - MIT provost & writer of Macsyma
- Judea Pearl - artificial intelligence, philosophy of action
- Haim Pekeris,
- Ilya Piatetski-Shapiro - representation theory; Wolf Prize in Mathematics (1990)
- Amir Pnueli - temporal logic; Turing Award (1996)
- Michael O. Rabin - nondeterminism, primality testing; Turing Award (1976)
- Adi Shamir - RSA encryption, differential cryptanalysis; Turing Award (2002)
- Saharon Shelah - logic; Wolf Prize in Mathematics (2001)
- Ehud Shapiro - Concurrent Prolog, DNA computing pioneer
- Avi Wigderson - randomized algorithms; Nevanlinna Prize (1994)
- Doron Zeilberger - combinatorics
- Reuven Cohen - Open Source Advocate
There have also been at least 9 Israeli winners of the Gödel Prize in theoretical computer science: Shlomo Moran (93) & Shafi Goldwasser (93 & 01), Yoram Moses (97), Moshe Vardi (00), Uriel Feige & Shmuel Safra (01), Nir Shavit (04) and Noga Alon & Yossi Matias (05).
[edit] Physics and chemistry
- Yakir Aharonov - Aharonov-Bohm effect; Wolf Prize in Physics (1998)
- Shlomo Alexander,
- Jacob Bekenstein - black hole thermodynamics
- Amos De-Shalit,
- David Deutsch - quantum computing pioneer; Paul Dirac Prize (1998)
- Israel Dostrovsky, physical chemistry,
- Joshua Jortner & Rafi Levine - molecular energy; Wolf Prize in Chemistry (1988)
- Josef Imry, physicist,
- Aaron Katzir, physical chemistry,
- Ephraim Katzir - immobilized enzymes; Japan Prize (1985)
- Zvi Lipkin, physicist,
- Mordehai Milgrom - Modified Newtonian Dynamics (MOND)
- Yuval Ne'eman - the "Eightfold way"
- Asher Peres - quantum theory
- Giulio Racah - spectroscopy
- Nathan Rosen - EPR paradox
- Nathan Seiberg - string theory
- Dan Shechtman - quasicrystals; Wolf Prize in Physics (1999)
- Shmuel Shtrikman, physicist,
- Izchak Shteinberg, physicist,
- Zeev Tadmor, chemical engineering,
- Igal Talmi, partical physics
- Chaim Weizmann - acetone production
- Itamar Wilner, chemist,
[edit] Biology and medicine
- Israel Aharoni - discovered the Syrian hamster
- Aaron Ciechanover & Avram Hershko - ubiquitin system; Lasker Award (2000), Nobel Prize in Chemistry (2004)
- Moshe Feldenkrais - invented Feldenkrais method used in movement therapy
- Israel Hanukoglu - structures of cytoskeletal keratins, NADP binding proteins, steroidogenic enzymes, Epithelial Sodium Channels (ENaC)
- Gavriel Iddan - inventor of capsule endoscopy
- Doron Lancet - smell, origin of life
- Alexander Levitzki - cancer research; Wolf Prize in Medicine (2005)
- Leo Sachs - blood cell research; Wolf Prize in Medicine (1980)
- Michael Sela & Ruth Arnon - developed Copaxone; Wolf Prize in Medicine (1998)
- Jacob Shani - performed the first atherectomy in New York State(1991); invented an angled catheter(1992)
- Israel Silman - 3D structure of acetylcholinesterase, Elkeles Prize for Research in Medicine (2005)
- Joel Sussman - 3D structure of acetylcholinesterase, Elkeles Prize for Research in Medicine (2005)
- Valero Aaron-Professor of Medicine, founder of Faculty of Medicine at the Technion, director of government hospital
- Refael Beyar-Professor of Cardiology at the Technion, founder of the cardiology exchange program between Johns Hopkins Medical School and the Technion
- Meir Wilchek - affinity chromatography; Wolf Prize in Medicine (1987)
- Ada Yonath - structure of ribosome
- Amotz Zahavi - Handicap Principle
[edit] Engineering
- Franz Ollendorf, Electronics, Electrical research,
- Moshe Zakai, Electrical engineering,
- Jacob Ziv, Electrical engineering,
[edit] Philosophy
- Martin Buber - philosopher
- Berl Katznelson
- Joseph Raz - philosopher
- Yeshayahu Leibowitz - philosopher and public figure
- Avishai Margalit - philosopher
[edit] Social sciences
- Aharon Dolgopolsky - linguist: Nostratic
- David Asheri, classical studies,
- SN Eisenstadt - sociologist: multiple modernities
- Nurit Peled-Elhanan, educator and activist
- Haim Ginott - psychologist: child psychology
- Eliyahu Goldratt - business consultant: theory of constraints
- Louis Guttman, sociologist,
- Don Handelman, Anthropology, Sociology,
- Elhanan Helpman - economist: international trade
- Daniel Kahneman - behavioural scientist: prospect theory; Nobel Prize in Economics (2002)
- Gerry Leisman - psychologist: neuropsychology, computational neuroscience
- Benjamin Mazar & Yigael Yadin - archaeologists
- Benny Morris & Avi Shlaim - historians: New Historians
- David Navon, psychologist,
- Erich Neumann - analytical psychologist: development, consciousness
- Hans Jakob Polotsky, linguist,
- Sheizaf Rafaeli, Management, information, communication,
- Ariel Rubinstein, economist,
- Yoram Tsafrir, Archeology,
- Amos Tversky - behavioral scientist: prospect theory with Daniel Kahneman
- Menahem Yaari, economist,
[edit] Entrepreneurs
[edit] High-tech
- Beny Alagem - founder of Packard Bell
- Efi Arazi - founder of Scitex
- Safra Catz - president of Oracle
- Idan & Yerach Feigenbaum - founders of SpeedBit (developers of Download Accelerator)
- Eli Harari - founder of SanDisk
- Yoav Hollander - founder of Verisity
- Morris Kahn - founder of Amdocs
- Daniel M. Lewin - founder of Akamai Technologies
- David Perlmutter - mobile platforms manager of Intel (developed Centrino wholly in Israel)
- Zack Rinat - founder of NetDynamics, Model N
- Bob Rosenschein - founder of GuruNet, Answers.com (Israeli-based)
- Gil Schwed - founder of Check Point
- Zeev Suraski & Andi Gutmans - founders of Zend Technologies (developers of PHP)
- Ariki & Yossi Vardi, Yair Goldfinger, Sefi Vigiser & Amnon Amir - founders of Mirabilis (developers of ICQ)
- Amnon Landan - founder of Mercury Interactive
[edit] Other
- Avi Arad & Isaac Perlmutter - owners of Marvel Comics
- Ted, Micky & Shari Arison - founder/owners of Carnival Corporation
- Eli Hurwitz - head of Teva Pharmaceuticals
- Lev Leviev, Benny Steinmetz - diamond tycoons
- Mordecai Meirowitz - inventor of the Mastermind board game
- Joseph, Ralph & Avi Nakash - founders of Jordache
- Sammy & Yuli Ofer - shipping magnates
- Ron Sommer - ex-CEO of Deutsche Telekom
- Stef Wertheimer - industrialist
[edit] Sports
[edit] Basketball
- Micky Berkowitz - Maccabi Tel-Aviv
- Tal Brody - Maccabi Tel-Aviv
- Tal Burstein - Maccabi Tel-Aviv
- Amit Tamir - University of California, PAOK Thessaloniki
- Shay Doron - University of Maryland
[edit] Football (soccer)
- Yossi Benayoun - Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Maccabi Haifa, Racing Santander, West Ham
- Tal Ben Haim - Maccabi Tel Aviv, Bolton Wanderers
- Eyal Berkovic - Maccabi Haifa, Southampton, West Ham, Celtic, Man City, Portsmouth
- Haim Revivo - Maccabi Haifa, Celta Vigo, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray
- Ronnie Rosenthal - Maccabi Haifa, Liverpool, Tottenham
- Mordechai Spiegler - Maccabi Netanya, Paris St. Germain
- Pini Zahavi - UK-based super-agent
[edit] Tennis
- Harel Levy (1 doubles title, 2 singles finals)
- Noam Okun
- Dudi Sela
- Amir Hadad
- Noam Behr
- Eyal Ran
- Gilad Bloom
- Shlomo Glickstein
- Jonathan Erlich (6 doubles titles, 6 doubles finals)
- Andy Ram (6 doubles titles, 6 doubles finals, 1 mixed double title (Wimbledon 2006 W/Zvonareva
- Amos Mansdorf
- Shahar Perkis
- Hila Rosen
- Anna Smashnova (12 WTA career titles)
- Shahar Peer (3 WTA career titles)
- Tzipora Obziler
[edit] Other
- 1972 Olympic team - see Munich Massacre
- Alex Averbukh - pole vaulter (European champion: 2002, 2006)
- Eli Elezra - professional poker player
- Galit Chait & Sergei Sakhnovski - ice dancers (world championship bronze: 2002)
- Gal Fridman - windsurfer (olympic gold: 2004, bronze: 1996; world champion: 2002)
- Boris Gelfand, Emil Sutovsky, Ilya Smirin - chess Grandmasters (~2700 peak ELO rating)
- Baruch Hagai - wheelchair athlete (multiple paralympic golds)
- Esther Roth-Shachamarov - track & field (5 Asian game golds)
- Ariel Zeevi - judoka (European champion: 2000, 2003, 2004; olympic bronze: 2004)
- Yael Arad - judoka (olympic silver: 1992, European champion: 1993, world silver: 1993). First Israeli Olympic medallist.
- Oren Smadja - judoka (olympic bronze: 1992)
- Michael Kolganov - kayak paddler (olympic bronze: 2000)
- See also: List of Israeli chess players
