Global Leaderboard 100 in view

Most Famous People from Israel

All 152,953
Israel 502
221 NP Natalie Portman Natalie Portman Israeli Film b. 1981
248 BN Benjamin Netanyahu Benjamin Netanyahu Israeli Politician b. 1949
572 SP Shimon Peres Shimon Peres Israeli Politician 1923–2016
939 EW Elie Wiesel Elie Wiesel Israeli Writer 1928–2016
989 DB David Ben-Gurion David Ben-Gurion Israeli Politician 1886–1973
1,745 MB Menachem Begin Menachem Begin Israeli Politician 1913–1992
2,242 GG Gal Gadot Gal Gadot Israeli Actor b. 1985
2,545 MD Moshe Dayan Moshe Dayan Israeli Politician 1915–1981
2,705 JT John the Baptist John the Baptist Israeli Hermit d. 30
3,753 CW Chaim Weizmann Chaim Weizmann Israeli Zionist 1874–1952
3,882 IP Itzhak Perlman Itzhak Perlman Israeli Violin b. 1945
3,891 A Abraham Abraham Israeli Prophet
4,322 HT Herod the Great Herod the Great Israeli Sovereign -73–-4
4,750 JI Judas Iscariot Judas Iscariot Israeli Disciples
5,573 EB Ehud Barak Ehud Barak Israeli Politician b. 1942
5,851 OH Ofra Haza Ofra Haza Israeli Singer 1957–2000
7,538 YN Yuval Noah Harari Yuval Noah Harari Israeli Historian b. 1976
8,346 YS Yitzhak Shamir Yitzhak Shamir Israeli Politician 1915–2012
8,386 MT Matthew the Apostle Matthew the Apostle Israeli Jesus -1–74
8,782 UG Uri Geller Uri Geller Israeli Illusionist b. 1946
9,283 NB Netta Barzilai Israeli Music b. 1993
10,529 HA Herod Antipas Herod Antipas Israeli Figlio -20–39
10,600 UA Uri Avnery Uri Avnery Israeli Journalist 1923–2018
10,624 DL Daliah Lavi Daliah Lavi Israeli Actor 1942–2017
10,780 EO Ehud Olmert Ehud Olmert Israeli Politician b. 1945
13,050 EK Etgar Keret Etgar Keret Israeli Writer b. 1967
13,101 J( James (Brother of Jesus) James (Brother of Jesus) Israeli Church d. 62
13,191 MG Menahem Golan Menahem Golan Israeli Film 1929–2014
13,371 MS Moshe Sharett Israeli Politician 1894–1965
13,806 SF Stanley Fischer Stanley Fischer Israeli Economist b. 1943
14,242 S Samuel Samuel Israeli Prophet d. -1010
14,832 RE Ronit Elkabetz Ronit Elkabetz Israeli Actor 1964–2016
15,199 YA Yigal Allon Yigal Allon Israeli Politician 1918–1980
15,405 AM Arnon Milchan Arnon Milchan Israeli Film b. 1944
15,746 RA Rabbi Akiva Rabbi Akiva Israeli Theologian 50–135
15,927 YB Yossi Benayoun Yossi Benayoun Israeli Football b. 1980
16,724 NS Natan Sharansky Israeli Politician b. 1948
17,747 AA Aharon Appelfeld Aharon Appelfeld Israeli Writer 1932–2018
18,329 SH Sarit Hadad Sarit Hadad Israeli Singer b. 1978
19,731 YA Yaacov Agam Israeli Artist b. 1928
20,208 NS Naomi Shemer Naomi Shemer Israeli Singer 1930–2004
21,422 MA Mira Awad Mira Awad Israeli Actor b. 1975
22,233 AT Alona Tal Alona Tal Israeli Actor b. 1983
22,459 ZS Zalman Shazar Zalman Shazar Israeli Author 1889–1974
22,703 AD Assi Dayan Assi Dayan Israeli Actor 1945–2014
22,786 TK Teddy Kollek Teddy Kollek Israeli Politician 1911–2007
22,865 AC Avishai Cohen (bassist) Avishai Cohen (bassist) Israeli Composer b. 1970
25,223 AW Arieh Warshel Arieh Warshel Israeli Chemist b. 1940
27,419 A Astrix Astrix Israeli Music b. 1980
27,497 EM Eliyahu M. Goldratt Israeli Physicist 1947–2011
27,734 IR Idan Raichel Israeli Composer b. 1977
28,179 BM Benny Morris Benny Morris Israeli Historian b. 1948
28,336 BS Ben Sahar Ben Sahar Israeli Football b. 1989
29,497 IL Ivri Lider Ivri Lider Israeli Singer b. 1974
29,697 LT Leopold Trepper Leopold Trepper Israeli Spy 1904–1982
30,730 MK Moshe Katsav Moshe Katsav Israeli Politician b. 1945
31,284 AH Avram Hershko Avram Hershko Israeli Biochemist b. 1937
31,768 AP Amir Peretz Amir Peretz Israeli Politician b. 1952
31,883 BK Beram Kayal Beram Kayal Israeli Football b. 1988
31,915 IC Izhar Cohen Israeli Singer b. 1951
32,772 MF Moshé Feldenkrais Moshé Feldenkrais Israeli Physicist 1904–1984
34,312 A( Amos (prophet) Amos (prophet) Israeli Prophet d. -745
34,449 GS Gilad Shalit Gilad Shalit Israeli Soldier b. 1986
34,931 MO Michael Oren Michael Oren Israeli Author b. 1955
35,257 BN Bibras Natkho Bibras Natkho Israeli Football b. 1988
35,419 MB Moses ben Jacob Cordovero Moses ben Jacob Cordovero Israeli Mystic 1522–1570
35,440 TH Tomer Hemed Tomer Hemed Israeli Football b. 1987
36,472 J( Joseph (Genesis) Joseph (Genesis) Israeli Brother -1562–-1452
36,879 SD Shoshana Damari Shoshana Damari Israeli Singer 1923–2006
36,925 ZS Zeev Sternhell Zeev Sternhell Israeli Historian 1935–2020
37,145 GA Gila Almagor Israeli Actor b. 1939
37,735 JT Josef Tal Josef Tal Israeli Composer 1910–2008
38,207 NT Ninet Tayeb Ninet Tayeb Israeli Actor b. 1983
38,903 MB Mike Brant Mike Brant Israeli Singer 1947–1975
40,571 RE Rafael Eitan Rafael Eitan Israeli Politician 1929–2004
40,625 MY Moshe Ya'alon Moshe Ya'alon Israeli Politician b. 1950
40,895 HR Haim Revivo Israeli Football b. 1972
42,697 AS Abraham Sutzkever Abraham Sutzkever Israeli Poet 1913–2010
43,392 RD Raz Degan Israeli Actor b. 1968
44,647 MB Mohammad Bakri Mohammad Bakri Israeli Film b. 1953
46,329 EB Eyal Berkovic Eyal Berkovic Israeli Football b. 1972
46,535 SK Sayed Kashua Israeli Author b. 1975
48,521 AB Ashraf Barhom Israeli Actor b. 1979
50,584 IS Itay Shechter Itay Shechter Israeli Football b. 1987
52,066 SG Shlomo Goren Shlomo Goren Israeli Rabbi 1917–1994
52,097 DF David Frankfurter David Frankfurter Israeli Assassiné 1909–1982
52,902 AD Aryeh Deri Israeli Politician b. 1959
52,909 JK Joseph Klausner Joseph Klausner Israeli Historian 1874–1958
54,738 G Gamaliel Gamaliel Israeli Rabbi d. 63
55,090 DA Dudu Aouate Dudu Aouate Israeli Football b. 1977
56,348 YH Yosef Haim Brenner Yosef Haim Brenner Israeli Writer 1881–1921
58,082 NG Nachum Gutman Nachum Gutman Israeli Sculptor 1898–1980
60,697 AY Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz Israeli Rabbi 1878–1953
62,852 LR Lior Refaelov Lior Refaelov Israeli Football b. 1986
65,875 YH Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog Yitzhak HaLevi Herzog Israeli Rabbi 1888–1959
66,318 OC Omri Casspi Omri Casspi Israeli Basket b. 1988
70,707 GV Gil Vermouth Gil Vermouth Israeli Football b. 1985
70,970 CO Chana Orloff Chana Orloff Israeli Sculptor 1888–1968
73,516 LR Lior Raz Lior Raz Israeli Actor b. 1971
74,474 MM Moni Moshonov Israeli Actor b. 1951
See all 152,953 rankings →

Ranked by cross-verified academic notability — how it works

By the numbers

Inside Israel

502 notable people in this slice of the dataset.

Through the Decades

One face per decade — the most globally famous figure born in Israel during each.

Notable Births by Decade

Notable births in Israel peaked in the 1980s with 72 people.

What Israel Is Known For

Click any row to drill into that filter.

Sports is Israel's biggest group — 21% of all notables (106).

Israel over-indexes on music — 1.5× the global rate.

  1. Sports106
  2. Politics & Law90
  3. Writing79
  4. Music44
  5. Film & TV39
  6. Other38
  7. Science28
  8. Military27
  1. Music441.5×

Profession Mix Over Time

Each band shows a profession family's share of Israel's notable births by decade. Hover the chart for the breakdown at any decade.

  • Sports
  • Politics & Law
  • Writing
  • Music
  • Film & TV
  • Science
  • Other

Datelines

The biggest birthplaces of fame — every city is a doorway.