Famous Israeli Men

Israeli men are perceived to be hot and handsome by the women all over the world! While Zac Efron and Shia LaBeouf definitely match this stereotype, it would be very unfair to assume that being an Israeli man is all about being good looking. For the record, Israelis are also one of the most intelligent, intellectual and hard working people of the world. In fact, Israel has produced quite a lot of Nobel Prize laureates in the science streams.

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 1 
David Ben-Gurion
(Former Prime Minister of Israel)
David Ben-Gurion
8
Birthdate: October 16, 1886
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Płonsk, Poland
Died: December 1, 1973
David Ben-Gurion was the founder of the State of Israel and also served as Israel’s first prime minister. He was the leader of the Jews in British Mandate Palestine and had also been the country’s defense minister and the chairman of the Provisional State Council of Israel.
 2 
Gene Simmons
(Bassist and Co-lead Singer of Hard Rock Band 'Kiss')
Gene Simmons
23
Birthdate: August 25, 1949
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Haifa, Israel

Co-founder of the rock band Kiss, Gene Simmons is also known by his stage persona, The Demon.  With his band, he has over 25 gold-certified albums. A devoted philanthropist, he has donated to charities related to underprivileged children. He created an animated series and owns a magazine and a label.

 3 
Solomon
(King of Israel)
Solomon
12
Birthdate: 0990 BC
Birthplace: Jerusalem, Israel
Died: 0931 BC
Also known as Jedidiah, Israeli king Solomon, known for his wisdom, is a figure that appears in the Hebrew Bible, the Old Testament, the Quran, and Hadiths. He ruled over the United Monarchy. His sins such as idolatry and marrying foreign women led to the disintegration of his kingdom.
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 4 
Saint Joseph
(Saint and Legal Father of Jesus)
Saint Joseph
18
Birthdate: 0030 BC
Birthplace: Bethlehem
Died: 0020 AD
Famous as the patron of the universal church in Roman Catholicism, Saint Joseph was married to Mary and was the guardian or foster father of JesusJoseph is revered as Saint Joseph in the Oriental Orthodox Church, Catholic Church, Anglicanism, Lutheranism, and the Orthodox Church. Joseph is regarded as the patron saint of workers, in Catholic traditions.
 5 
David
(King of Israel from 1010 to 970 BCE)
David
2
Birthdate: 1040 AD
Birthplace: Bethlehem, Israel
Died: 0970 AD

King David of Israel remains a significant figure not just in Christianity, but also in Judaism and Islam. The Books of Samuel describe him as a shepherd. Legends also mention how he killed the giant Goliath and had an affair with Bathsheba. He was also a poet and a psalmist.

 6 
Daniel Kahneman
(Winner of 2002 Nobel Prize in Economics for His Work on the Psychology of Judgment and Decision-Making)
Daniel Kahneman
7
Birthdate: March 5, 1934
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

Daniel Kahneman is an Israeli economist and psychologist. He was honored with the 2002 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his work on behavioral economics. In 2011, Kahneman was named among the top global thinkers by Foreign Policy magazine. In 2015, Daniel Kahneman was ranked seventh in the most influential economist in the world list published by The Economist.

 7 
Moshe Dayan
(Israeli Military & Political Leader)
Moshe Dayan
12
Birthdate: May 20, 1915
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Degania Alef, Israel
Died: October 16, 1981

Born to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants, military leader/politician Moshe Dayan, grew up to be an revered for his exploits against Israel’s Arab neighbors. His invasion of the Sinai peninsula is etched in his memoir, Diary of the Sinai Campaign. Following his death, his eye patch was sold on eBay for US$75,000.

 8 
Amar'e Stoudemire
(American-Israeli Professional Basketball Coach and Former Player)
Amar'e Stoudemire
11
Birthdate: November 16, 1982
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Lake Wales, Florida, United States

Known as much for his basketball skills, as for his towering 6’10” height, Amar'e Stoudemire has played for major teams such as the New York Knicks and the Phoenix Suns. An Olympic bronze medal winner, he now coaches the NBA team Brooklyn Nets. He also founded the Each One, Teach One foundation.

 9 
Shimon Peres
(Former President of Israel)
Shimon Peres
17
Birthdate: August 2, 1923
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Wiszniew, Poland
Died: September 28, 2016
Shimon Peres had been both the president and prime minister of Israel (twice). He was also part of five political parties in his 70-year career and had held important cabinet posts such as the minister of finance. He won the Nobel Peace Prize along with Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat.
 10 
Itzhak Perlman
(Israeli-American Violinist, Conductor, and Music Teacher)
Itzhak Perlman
4
Birthdate: August 31, 1945
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
A bout of polio at age 4 left Itzhak Perlman’s legs paralyzed but could not deter his spirit. The Juilliard alumnus has won 16 Grammys and the coveted Leventritt Prize for his phenomenal compositions. He has also served as a conductor for Detroit Symphony and orchestras. 
 11 
Jude the Apostle
(One of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament)
Jude the Apostle
5
Birthdate: 0001 AD
Birthplace: Galilee, Israel
Died: 0062 AD
 12 
Melchizedek
(Priest and King of Salem)
Melchizedek
2

Melchizedek was the priest and king of Salem. He is mentioned in the Book of Genesis and is the first person to be given the title priest in the Hebrew Bible. Melchizedek is considered an important figure in Christianity and Judaism.

 13 
Yitzhak Rabin
(5th Prime Minister of Israel)
Yitzhak Rabin
8
Birthdate: March 1, 1922
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Jerusalem, Mandatory Palestine
Died: November 4, 1995

Israeli politician, statesman, and general, Yitzhak Rabin, served two stints as the prime minister of Israel. As a young man, he joined the military and served for nearly three decades. He had an extensive political career as well and played a key role in embracing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. He was assassinated in November 1995.

 14 
Oded Fehr
(Stage actor, Film actor)
Oded Fehr
7
Birthdate: November 23, 1970
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Venezuela

Oded Fehr is an Israeli actor best known for playing Ardeth Bay in the 1999 film The Mummy. Fehr went on to reprise his role in the 2001 sequel The Mummy Returns. His portrayal of Ardeth earned him similar roles in films like Resident Evil: Apocalypse. Over the years, he has also established himself as a TV actor in America.

 15 
Benny Hinn
(Israeli Christian Televangelist and Host of the TV Show ‘This Is Your Day’)
Benny Hinn
33
Birthdate: December 3, 1952
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Jaffa, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

Israeli televangelist Benny Hinn gained fame with his Miracle Crusades held in stadiums across major cities and broadcast worldwide on his show This Is Your Day. He incorrectly predicted twice that the world would end. He has also authored several books, such as Lord, I Need a Miracle.

Baldwin IV of Jerusalem
5
Birthdate: 1161 AD
Birthplace: Kingdom of Jerusalem
Died: March 16, 1185

Though seriously hindered by leprosy, Baldwin IV, who came to power at the age of 13, was successful in defending his Jerusalem kingdom during his nearly 11-year rule. His reign was marked by his confrontations with Saladin, the ruler of Egypt and Syria. Also known as The Leper King, Baldwin slowed Saladin’s military campaigns. He was succeeded by his nephew.

 17 
Hillel Slovak
(Musician)
Hillel Slovak
7
Birthdate: April 13, 1962
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Haifa, Israel
Died: June 25, 1988
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 18 
Ronen Rubinstein
(best known for his roles as Nathan in the Netflix series Orange Is The New Black)
Ronen Rubinstein
9
Birthdate: November 7, 1993
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Rehovot, Israel
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 19 
Chaim Topol
12
Birthdate: September 9, 1935
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Tel Aviv
Israeli actor Chaim Topol is best known for his Golden Globe-winning titular role in Sallah Shabati. He began his career with Israeli theater and later co-founded Haifa Theatre. He also earned an Academy Award nomination and won a Golden Globe for playing Tevye in the musical Fiddler on the Roof.
 20 
Eli Cohen
(Egyptian-born Israeli Spy)
Eli Cohen
13
Birthdate: December 26, 1924
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Alexandria, Egypt
Died: May 18, 1965
Israeli spy Eli Cohen is remembered for his espionage activities from 1961 to 1965 in Syria, where he served as the chief advisor to the defense minister. He was eventually convicted and publicly hanged. His story later inspired the Netflix miniseries The Spy and the TV film The Impossible Spy.
 21 
Andrew the Apostle
(Apostle)
Andrew the Apostle
4
Birthdate: 0005 AD
Birthplace: Galilee, Israel
Died: November 30, 0060
 22 
Ralph Bakshi
(Director of Animated Films)
Ralph Bakshi
1
Birthdate: October 29, 1938
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Haifa
Animation filmmaker Ralph Bakshi revolutionized the domain of animation through adult-oriented projects. He started his career with Terrytoons and eventually launched his own studio. Some of his features include Fritz the Cat, the 1978 version of The Lord of the Rings, and the series Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures.
 23 
Jonah
(Prophet)
Jonah
1
Birthplace: Nineveh, Iraq

The Book of Jonah of the Old Testament talks about Jonah, the prophet. Jonah apparently set sail to Tarshish instead of listening to God and traveling to Nineveh to warn its citizens of God’s wrath due to its wickedness. However, shipwrecked, he eventually ends up warning Nineveh of the impending danger.

 24 
Nas Daily
(Video blogger)
Nas Daily
16
Birthdate: February 9, 1992
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Arraba, Israel Arraba, Israel

Israeli-Arab travel vlogger Nuseir Yassin, better known to netizens as Nas Daily, has gained global fame with his 1000 daily one-minute Facebook and YouTube videos. His vlogs cover everything from luxury resorts to villages. He has also launched NAS Academy to train upcoming vloggers and video creators.

 25 
Deni Avdija
(Basketball player)
Deni Avdija
6
Birthdate: January 3, 2001
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Beit Zera, Israel

Being the son of basketball player and coach Zufer Avdija, Israeli-Serbian small forward Deni Avdija was destined to excel in the sport. The Washington Wizards player is known for his towering 6’9” frame. Beginning his career with Maccabi Tel Aviv, he later won 2 FIBA U20 European Championship golds for Israel.

 26 
Uri Geller
(Magician)
Uri Geller
4
Birthdate: December 20, 1946
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Tel Aviv
Illusionist, magician, and psychic Uri Geller is best known for his spoon-bending skills, which he has highlighted on many TV shows. He has also acted in the horror film Sanitarium. He has attributed his powers to aliens. He, however, failed to bend spoons on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
 27 
Daniel Barenboim
(Pianist, Conductor, Music director)
Daniel Barenboim
12
Birthdate: November 15, 1942
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Buenos Aires

Daniel Barenboim is a pianist and conductor currently serving as the general music director of the Berlin State Opera and the Staatskapelle Berlin. He has previously been the music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the Orchestre de Paris, and La Scala in Milan. He is a recipient of Spain's Prince of Asturias Concord Award among others.

 28 
Menachem Begin
(Former Prime Minister of Israel)
Menachem Begin
8
Birthdate: August 16, 1913
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Brest
Died: March 9, 1992

Menachem Begin was an Israeli politician who served as the sixth Prime Minister of Israel. In this position, he signed a peace treaty with Egypt in 1979, for which he and Egyptian politician Anwar Sadat shared the Nobel Prize for Peace. He implemented several reforms to improve the socio-economic condition of Israeli citizens and improve the general quality of life.

 29 
Matthew the Apostle
(Saint)
Matthew the Apostle
1
Birthplace: Nazareth, Israel
Died: 0074 AD
 30 
Neil Druckmann
(Best known for his work on the Uncharted and The Last of Us video game franchises)
Neil Druckmann
0
Birthdate: December 5, 1978
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Israel
 31 
Hezekiah
(King of Judah)
Hezekiah
3
Birthdate: 0739 BC
Birthplace: Jerusalem, Israel
Died: 0687 BC
Often likened to David, Hezekiah was the ruler of the southern kingdom of Judah. He succeeded his father, Ahaz, at 25. He reformed the Temple and abolished idolatry. His reign witnessed the Assyrians capture Israel and Sennacherib lead the siege of Jerusalem, following which a plague destroyed the Assyrian army.
 32 
Josiah
(King of Judah)
Josiah
2
Birthdate: 0648 BC
Birthplace: Jerusalem, Israel
Died: 0609 BC
Josiah, whose name means Healed of the Lord, became the king of Judah at the tender age of 8. Apart from compiling major Hebrew scriptures, Josiah destroyed all pagan placed of worship. Though he isn’t mentioned anywhere apart from the Bible, historians believe he very much existed.
 33 
Iddo Goldberg
(Actor)
Iddo Goldberg
2
Birthdate: August 5, 1975
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Haifa

Iddo Goldberg is an Israeli-British actor best known for his roles in the drama TV series  Secret Diary of a Call Girl and horror TV series Salem. Born in Israel, he moved to London as a child. He began his acting career in the 1990s with small roles in TV shows. As of today, he appears in films as well. 

 34 
Reuven Rivlin
(10th President of Israel)
Reuven Rivlin
7
Birthdate: September 9, 1939
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Jerusalem, Israel

Israeli president Reuven Rivlin, a qualified lawyer, has been associated with organizations such as the Betar Jerusalem Sports Association. A supporter of the one-state solution to end the Israel–Palestine issue, he has previously made headlines for cancelling an Amir Benayoun show after the singer sang an anti-Arab track.

 35 
Yossi Benayoun
(Israeli Former Professional Footballer Who Played as a Midfielder)
Yossi Benayoun
5
Birthdate: May 5, 1980
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Dimona, Israel

Nicknamed The Kid and The Diamond from Dimona, Israeli footballer Yossi Benayoun has led his country’s national team as its captain. He now serves Beitar Jerusalem as its sporting director. Starting his career at 17, he has represented teams such as Maccabi Haifa, Liverpool, and Chelsea.

 36 
Nehemiah Persoff
(Painter)
Nehemiah Persoff
1
Birthdate: August 2, 1919
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Jerusalem, Israel

Nehemiah Persoff is a retired actor and painter. In an extensive career spanning over half a century, he appeared in more than 200 films, TV shows, and stage productions. As a young man, he served in the US Army. He then began his acting career in the New York theater and started acting in films and TV shows as well. 

 37 
Avi Arad
(CEO and founder of Marvel Studios)
Avi Arad
3
Birthdate: April 18, 1948
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Ramat Gan, Israelr

Avi Arad is an Israeli-American businessman and film producer. He became a prominent business figure as the CEO of the company Toy Biz in the 1990s. He then proceeded to become the chief creative officer of Marvel Entertainment and founded Marvel Studios. In 2006, he resigned from his Marvel positions and formed his own production company, Arad Productions. 

 38 
Yonatan Netanyahu
('Israel Defense Forces' Officer Best Remembered for Commanding 'Operation Entebbe')
Yonatan Netanyahu
4
Birthdate: March 13, 1946
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: New York City
Died: July 4, 1976

Yonatan Netanyahu was an Israel Defense Forces officer best remembered for commanding Sayeret Matkal, an elite commando unit, during Operation Entebbe. The operation, which was a planned mission to rescue hostages at Entebbe Airport in Uganda, was successful. However, Yonatan Netanyahu was killed in action. His life and career inspired the 2012 film Follow Me.

 39 
Saint James the Great
(Saint)
Saint James the Great
1
Birthdate: 0005 AD
Birthplace: Bethsaida, Israel
Died: 0044 AD
 40 
Yossi Ghinsberg
(Writer)
Yossi Ghinsberg
1
Birthdate: April 25, 1959
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Tel Aviv, Israel

Yossi Ghinsberg is an Israeli adventurer, entrepreneur, author, motivational speaker, and humanitarian. He is best known for his survival story which happened in 1981 when he was stranded in the Amazon jungle for three weeks. The story inspired the 2017 Australian biographical film Jungle and was featured in Discovery Channel's popular documentary series I Shouldn't Be Alive.

 41 
Ilan Ramon
(Fighter pilot)
Ilan Ramon
5
Birthdate: June 20, 1954
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Ramat Gan, Israel
Died: February 1, 2003
 42 
Gideon
(Military Leader of The Israelites Who Won an Important Battle Against The Midianites)
Gideon
0
Birthplace: Unknown

Gideon was a military leader, prophet, and judge whose victory over the Midianites are described in the Hebrew Bible. Like the 300 Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae, Gideon's army of 300 valiant men is well-known for achieving a decisive victory over the Midianites despite a vast numerical disadvantage. 

 43 
Evgeny Kissin
(Russian-born Composer and Concert Pianist)
Evgeny Kissin
0
Birthdate: October 10, 1971
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Moscow

Evgeny Kissin is a Russian-born composer and concert pianist. He is renowned for his renditions of the works of great musicians like Ludwig van Beethoven, Robert Schumann, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. Over the course of his illustrious career, Evgeny Kissin has won many prestigious musical awards, such as the Grammy Awards, Triumph Award, and Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli Award.

 44 
Amos Tversky
(Psychologist, Economist, University teacher)
Amos Tversky
1
Birthdate: March 16, 1937
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Haifa
Died: June 2, 1996

Amos Tversky was an Israeli cognitive and mathematical psychologist. He is known for his contribution to the discovery of systematic human cognitive bias. The son of a social worker and politician, he received his doctorate from the University of Michigan before embarking on an academic career. He worked closely with his longtime collaborator, Daniel Kahneman, and wrote several papers together. 

 45 
Omri Casspi
(Basketball player)
Omri Casspi
3
Birthdate: June 22, 1988
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Yavne

Omri Casspi is a retired professional basketball player who became the first Israeli to be chosen in an NBA draft's first round when he was drafted by the Sacramento Kings in the 2009 NBA draft. Omri Casspi also became the first Israeli player to appear in an NBA game when he made his debut for the Sacramento Kings in 2009.

 46 
Dmitry Glukhovsky
(Author)
Dmitry Glukhovsky
0
Birthdate: June 12, 1979
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Moscow, Russia

Russian-Israeli author Dmitry Glukhovsky gained fame with his first novel, Metro 2033, which he published on his own site at age 18, and which later inspired an interactive experiment and a video game franchise. He has also worked for Mayak Radio Station, EuroNews TV, and Deutsche Welle.

 47 
Peter Malkin
(Spy)
Peter Malkin
1
Birthdate: May 27, 1927
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Gmina Żółkiewka, Poland
Died: March 1, 2005
 48 
Abraham
(Religious Leader)
Abraham
0
Birthplace: Ur Kaśdim, Mesopotamia

Abraham is an important historical character, considered one of the fathers of the human race by the Abrahamic religions, including Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. Abrahamic religions believe that Abraham was in contact with God; his story and life events have inspired several important paintings, sculptures, works of literature, and music.

 49 
John the Evangelist
(Author)
John the Evangelist
0
Birthdate: 0015 AD
Birthplace: Jerusalem
Died: 0100 AD

John the Evangelist, or St. John the Apostle, was one of Jesus’s Twelve Apostles. The son of a fisherman, he was one of the first disciples of Jesus. He is believed to have penned Letters of John and the Fourth Gospel. He and his brother, James, were called the sons of thunder.

 50 
T. J. Leaf
(Basketball player)
T. J. Leaf
0
Birthdate: April 30, 1997
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel

T. J. Leaf is an Israeli-American professional basketball player who was last associated with the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Named an All-American as a high school senior in 2016, he made his professional debut with Indiana Pacers the following year. He currently plays for Portland Trail Blazers as a free agent. 

Arieh Warshel, Aaron Ciechanover and Avram Hershko did their nation proud by winning the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in different years. Israel as a country has had a difficult past marked by political turbulence and conflicts. Out this were born such leaders like Yitzhak Rabin and Menachem Begin who served as the nation’s Prime Ministers and played a pivotal role in stabilizing the political situation in Israel. The country boasts of a rich literary legacy which writers like Shmuel Yosef Agnon, Sayed Kashua, and Uri Zvi Grinberg have helped to shape. Israeli cuisine may not be very famous worldwide, but the celebrity chef Yisrael Aharoni definitely is popularizing it. Kids have a special reason to be thankful to Israel for Avi Arad and Isaac Perlmutter, the founders of the Marvel comics were Israelis. Browse on to know more interesting facts about famous Israeli men.