100 Notable alumni of
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Updated:
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem is 40th in the world, 6th in Asia, and 1st in Israel by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff. 1 individual affiliated with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem won Nobel Prizes in Economics.
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Natalie Portman
- Occupations
- film producerfilm actorstage actorfilm directortelevision actor
- Biography
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Natalie Hershlag, known professionally as Natalie Portman, is an actress, film producer and director with dual Israeli and American citizenship. She has had a prolific screen career from her teenage years and has starred in various blockbusters and independent films, receiving multiple accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards.
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Yuval Noah Harari
- Occupations
- popular science authormilitary historianwriterphilosophermedievalist
- Biography
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Yuval Noah Harari is an Israeli medievalist, military historian, public intellectual, and popular science writer. He is a professor of history at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His first bestselling book, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind (2011) is based on his lectures to an undergraduate world history class. His other works include the bestsellers Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow (2016), 21 Lessons for the 21st Century (2018), and Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI (2024). His published work examines themes of free will, consciousness, intelligence, happiness, suffering and the role of storytelling in human evolution.
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Ariel Sharon
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- army officerpolitician
- Biography
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Ariel Sharon was an Israeli general and politician who served as the prime minister of Israel from March 2001 until April 2006.
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Naftali Bennett
- Enrolled in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- In 2001 graduated with Bachelor of Laws
- Occupations
- businesspersonpolitician
- Biography
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Naftali Bennett is an Israeli politician and businessman who served as the prime minister of Israel from 13 June 2021 to 30 June 2022, and as the alternate prime minister from 1 July to 8 November 2022. Bennett was the leader of the New Right party from 2018 to 2022, having previously led the religious Zionist and far-right political party The Jewish Home between 2012 and 2018.
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Daniel Kahneman
- Enrolled in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- In 1954 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in psychology
- Occupations
- essayistuniversity teacherpsychologistauthoreconomist
- Biography
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Daniel Kahneman was an Israeli-American psychologist best known for his work on the psychology of judgment and decision-making as well as behavioral economics, for which he was awarded the 2002 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences together with Vernon L. Smith. Kahneman's published empirical findings challenge the assumption of human rationality prevailing in modern economic theory. Kahneman became known as the "grandfather of behavioral economics."
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Ehud Barak
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- diplomatmilitary officerpolitician
- Biography
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Ehud Barak is an Israeli former general and politician who served as the prime minister and Minister of Defense from 1999 to 2001. He was leader of the Labor Party between 1997 and 2001 and between 2007 and 2011. He was also Minister of Defense from 2007 to 2013.
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Reuven Rivlin
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- juristlawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Reuven "Ruvi" Rivlin is an Israeli politician and lawyer who served as the president of Israel between 2014 and 2021. He is a member of the Likud party. Rivlin was Minister of Communications from 2001 to 2003, and subsequently served as Speaker of the Knesset from 2003 to 2006 and 2009 to 2013. On 10 June 2014, he was elected President of Israel. His term ended on 7 July 2021.
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Ehud Olmert
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- advocatelawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Ehud Olmert is an Israeli politician and lawyer who served as the prime minister of Israel from 2006 to 2009.
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Dmitry Glukhovsky
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- science fiction writerscreenwriterwriternovelistshort story writer
- Biography
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Dmitry Alekseyevich Glukhovsky is a Russian and Israeli author, best known for the science fiction novel Metro 2033 and its sequels. As a journalist, Glukhovsky has worked for Euronews, RT in its early years, and others. Aside from his native Moscow, Glukhovsky has also lived in Israel, Germany, and France. He currently lives abroad due to his wanted status and prison sentence in Russia for his criticism of the Russian government and the invasion of Ukraine.
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Benzion Netanyahu
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- Judaic scholarpedagoguezionistwriteruniversity teacher
- Biography
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Benzion Netanyahu was an Israeli encyclopedist, historian, and medievalist, born in Warsaw. He served as a professor of history at Cornell University. A scholar of Judaic history, he was also an activist in the Revisionist Zionism movement, who lobbied in the United States to support the creation of the Jewish state. His field of expertise was the history of the Jews in Spain. He was an editor of the Hebrew Encyclopedia and assistant to Benjamin Azkin, Ze'ev Jabotinsky's personal secretary.
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Wolf Blitzer
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- television presenterprogram hostjournalist
- Biography
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Wolf Isaac Blitzer is an American journalist, television news anchor, and author who has been a CNN reporter since 1990, and who currently serves as one of the principal anchors at the network. He has been a host of The Situation Room, now formally known as The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown, since 2005. Since March 2025, Blitzer co-hosts the show with Pamela Brown; previously he served as the network's lead political anchor until 2021 and as the sole host of The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer during the show's early evening run between 2005 and 2025.
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Sara Netanyahu
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- educational psychologist
- Biography
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Sara Netanyahu is the spouse of the prime minister of Israel by marriage to Benjamin Netanyahu, holding the role for her third time. By profession, she is an educational and career psychologist.
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Neri Oxman
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- designerartistuniversity teacherarchitect
- Biography
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Neri Oxman is an American-Israeli designer and former professor known for art that combines design, biology, computing, and materials engineering. She coined the phrase "material ecology" to define her work.
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Miriam Adelson
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- publisherphysician
- Biography
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Miriam Adelson is an Israeli-American physician, businesswoman, philanthropist, and conservative political donor. She was married to Sheldon Adelson until his death in 2021.
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Amos Oz
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- journalistuniversity teacherpedagoguenovelistchildren's writer
- Biography
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Amos Oz was an Israeli writer, novelist, journalist, and intellectual. He was also a professor of Hebrew literature at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. From 1967 onwards, Oz was a prominent advocate of a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
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Avigdor Lieberman
- Enrolled in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts in international relations and political science
- Occupations
- chief executive officerpolitician
- Biography
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Avigdor Lieberman is a Soviet-born Israeli politician who served as Minister of Finance between 2021 and 2022, having previously served twice as Deputy Prime Minister of Israel from 2006 to 2008 and 2009 to 2012.
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Herzi Halevi
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- military personnelmilitary officer
- Biography
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Herzl "Herzi" Halevi is a retired Israeli general who served as the Chief of the General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces from 16 January 2023 to 5 March 2025.
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Moshe Katsav
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- politician
- Biography
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Moshe Katsav is an Israeli former politician who was the president of Israel from 2000 to 2007. He was also a leading Likud member of the Israeli Knesset and a minister in its cabinet. He was the first Mizrahi Jew to be elected to the presidency, and second non-Ashkenazi president after Yitzhak Navon. He is also the only ex-Israeli president to have been convicted of a crime.
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Yair Netanyahu
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- journalist
- Biography
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Yair Netanyahu is an Israeli podcaster and political activist. He is the second child of Benjamin Netanyahu.
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Esther Perel
- Enrolled in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- sex therapistpodcasterpsychotherapistmarriage counselor
- Biography
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Esther Perel is an American psychotherapist, known for her work on human relationships.
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Kazuya SHIMBA
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- politician
- Biography
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Kazuya Shimba is a Japanese politician, the general-secretary of the Democratic Party for the People (DPP). He is serving as a member of the House of Councillors.
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David Grossman
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- radio personalityscreenwriterwriterchildren's writernovelist
- Biography
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David Grossman is an Israeli author. His books have been translated into more than 30 languages.
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Ilan Pappé
- Enrolled in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- In 1979 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- historianpolitical scientistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Ilan Pappé is an Israeli historian and political scientist, known for his work on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and as a leading figure among Israel's New Historians. He is a professor at the University of Exeter's College of Social Sciences and International Studies, where he directs the European Centre for Palestine Studies and co-directs the Exeter Centre for Ethno-Political Studies.
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Aviv Kochavi
- Enrolled in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Graduated with Bachelor of Philosophy
- Occupations
- military personnelmilitary officer
- Biography
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Aviv Kohavi is an Israeli former general who served as the 22nd Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces from 15 January 2019 to 16 January 2023. Before becoming Lieutenant General (Rav-Aluf), he was commander of the Gaza Division, commander of the Northern Command, commander of the Paratroopers Brigade and Military Intelligence Directorate.
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Israel Katz
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- politician
- Biography
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Israel Katz is an Israeli politician and member of the Knesset for Likud currently serving as Minister of Defense and a member of the Security Cabinet of Israel. Katz has been recognized for his role in modernizing Israel's transportation infrastructure, including the expansion of highways, the development of high-speed rail, and reforms to Israel's ports that increased competition and reduced shipping costs. Katz has previously served as Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Transport, Minister of Intelligence, Minister of Energy, Minister of Finance, and twice as Minister of Foreign Affairs. On 5 November 2024, it was announced that he would be nominated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as Defense Minister after Yoav Gallant was dismissed.
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Karin Kneissl
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- journalistdiplomatopinion journalistpolitician
- Biography
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Karin Kneissl is an Austrian diplomat, journalist, and politician. She served as Minister of Foreign Affairs between 2017 and 2019. Prior to assuming her government position, she was a lecturer.
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Bernardo Arévalo de León
- Enrolled in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts in sociology
- Occupations
- writerdiplomatsociologistpolitician
- Biography
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César Bernardo Arévalo de León is a Guatemalan diplomat, sociologist, writer, and politician serving as the 52nd and current president of Guatemala since 2024. A member and co-founder of the Semilla party, he previously served as a deputy in the Congress of Guatemala from 2020 to 2024, as ambassador to Spain from 1995 to 1996 and as deputy minister of foreign affairs from 1994 to 1995.
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Avi Loeb
- Enrolled in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Graduated with Doctor of Philosophy
- Occupations
- astrophysicistufologistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Abraham "Avi" Loeb is an Israeli and American theoretical physicist who works on astrophysics and cosmology. Loeb is the Frank B. Baird Jr. Professor of Science at Harvard University. He chaired the Department of Astronomy from 2011 to 2020, and founded the Black Hole Initiative in 2016.
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Lucy Aharish
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- film actorcelebrity brandingtelevision presenteractorjournalist
- Biography
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Lucy Aharish is an Israeli journalist, news anchor, television host, and actress. She was the first Arab-Muslim news presenter on mainstream Hebrew-language Israeli television.
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Iddo Netanyahu
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- playwrightradiologist
- Biography
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Iddo Netanyahu is an Israeli physician, author, and playwright. He is the younger brother of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, and Yonatan Netanyahu, a highly decorated soldier who was killed leading the Entebbe raid, a hostage rescue mission in 1976.
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Nouriel Roubini
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- university teachereconomistart collector
- Biography
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Nouriel Roubini is an American economic consultant, economist, speaker, and writer. He is a professor emeritus since 2021 at the Stern School of Business of New York University. Roubini earned a BA in political economics at Bocconi University in Italy and a doctorate in international economics at Harvard University. He was an academic at Yale and a researcher/advisor researching emerging markets.
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Amir Hetsroni
- Enrolled in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Graduated with Master of Arts in communication studies
- Occupations
- honorary fellowlecturervisiting professorsenior teacher
- Biography
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Amir Hetsroni is an Israeli professor of communication science, novelist, comedian and social media personality. Commonly described as an internet troll, Hetsroni is known for his extremely divisive views and frequent employment of shock humor.
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Yariv Levin
- Occupations
- advocatelawyerpolitician
- Biography
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Yariv Gideon Levin is an Israeli lawyer and politician who serves as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Justice, Minister of Interior and Minister of Religious Services. He served as Speaker of the Knesset in December 2022, previously serving in that role from 2020 to 2021. He currently serves as a member of Knesset for Likud, and previously held the posts of Minister of Internal Security, Minister of Tourism, and Minister of Aliyah and Integration.
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Delphine Horvilleur
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- writerjournalistrabbiphilosopher
- Biography
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Delphine Horvilleur is France's third female rabbi, and (as of 2024) editorial director of the quarterly Jewish magazine Tenou’a - Atelier de pensée(s) juive(s) (Tenou'a - Workshop on Jewish thought). She leads a congregation in Paris, and is currently co-leading the Liberal Jewish Movement of France, a Jewish liberal cultural and religious association affiliated to the World Union for Progressive Judaism, which she joined in 2008. She is also an author.
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Benny Morris
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- historianuniversity teacherjournalist
- Biography
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Benny Morris is an Israeli historian. He was a professor of history in the Middle East Studies department of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in the city of Beersheba, Israel. Morris was initially associated with the group of Israeli historians known as the "New Historians", a term he coined to describe himself and historians Avi Shlaim, Ilan Pappé and Simha Flapan.
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Nir Barkat
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- businesspersonentrepreneurpolitician
- Biography
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Nir Barkat is an Israeli businessman and politician, currently serving as Minister of Economy. He previously served as mayor of Jerusalem from 2008 to 2018.
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Yonit Levi
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- broadcasternews presenterjournalisttelevision presenter
- Biography
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Yonit Levi is an Israeli news anchor, television presenter, podcaster, and journalist.
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Amit Segal
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- reporterwriterjournalist
- Biography
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Amit Segal is an Israeli journalist, radio and television personality. He serves as the political commentator of Israel's Channel 12 news (N12 News company) and a political columnist for the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper. He is regarded as one of the most influential journalists in Israel. Nowadays he serves as an anchor of the Israeli Meet the Press alongside Ben Caspit.
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Mansour Abbas
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- political activistdentistpolitician
- Biography
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Mansour Abbas is an Israeli politician. He is currently the leader of the United Arab List and represents the party in the Knesset. He was appointed as the chair of Special Committee on Arab Society Affairs in the Knesset on 27 April 2021. In 2021 Abbas made history by becoming the first Israeli Arab political leader to join an Israeli governing coalition. He is a qualified dentist.
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Yinon Magal
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- television presenterpoliticianjournalist
- Biography
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Yinon Magal is an Israeli journalist and politician. He served as a member of the Knesset for the Jewish Home for most of 2015. Magal presents the program "The Patriots" on the channel Now 14 and broadcasts a daily program on the radio station 103fm alongside Ben Caspit. In the past, he was the presenter of Channel 1's "View Edition" and the editor in chief of the Walla website.
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Ofer Cassif
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- politician
- Biography
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Ofer Cassif is a far-left Israeli politician. He has represented Hadash in the Knesset since April 2019.
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Isaac Navon
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- educatorpoliticianwriterdiplomatplaywright
- Biography
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Yitzhak Rachamim Navon was an Israeli politician, diplomat, playwright, and author. He served as the president of Israel between 1978 and 1983 as a member of the centre-left Alignment party. He was the first Israeli president born in Jerusalem and the first Sephardi Jew to serve in that office.
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Ada Yonath
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- chemistmolecular biologistcrystallographeruniversity teacherbiochemist
- Biography
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Ada E. Yonath is an Israeli crystallographer and Nobel laureate in Chemistry, best known for her pioneering work on the structure of ribosomes. She is the current director of the Helen and Milton A. Kimmelman Center for Biomolecular Structure and Assembly of the Weizmann Institute of Science.
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Eva Illouz
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- university teacherwritercommunication scholardirector of studiessociologist
- Biography
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Eva Illouz is a professor of sociology at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences in Paris and a Professor emerita at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She was the first woman president of Bezalel Academy of Art and Design.
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Aharon Barak
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- university teacherjuristjudge
- Biography
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Aharon Barak is an Israeli lawyer and jurist who served as President of the Supreme Court of Israel from 1995 to 2006. Prior to this, Barak served as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Israel from 1978 to 1995, and before this as Attorney General of Israel from 1975 to 1978.
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Meir Shalev
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- writerchildren's writeropinion journalistpsychologistjournalist
- Biography
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Meir Shalev was an Israeli writer and newspaper columnist for the daily Yedioth Ahronoth. Shalev's books have been translated into 26 languages.
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Robert Aumann
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- pedagoguemathematicianresearcherprofessoreconomist
- Biography
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Robert John Aumann is an Israeli-American mathematician, and a member of the United States National Academy of Sciences. He is a professor at the Center for the Study of Rationality in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He also holds a visiting position at Stony Brook University, and is one of the founding members of the Stony Brook Center for Game Theory.
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Ahmad Tibi
- Enrolled in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Graduated with Doctor of Medicine
- Occupations
- physiciangynecologistpolitician
- Biography
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Ahmad Tibi is a Palestinian-Israeli politician. The leader of the Ta'al party, he has served as a member of the Knesset since 1999. Tibi was acknowledged as a figure in the Israeli-Palestinian arena after serving as a political advisor to the late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat (1993–1999).
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David Gross
- Occupations
- string theoristtheoretical physicistphysicistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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David Jonathan Gross is an American theoretical physicist and string theorist. He shared the 2004 Nobel Prize in Physics with Frank Wilczek and Hugh David Politzer "for the discovery of asymptotic freedom in the theory of the strong interaction".
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Assi Dayan
- Occupations
- film directorjournalistactorwriterfilm producer
- Biography
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Assaf "Assi" Dayan was an Israeli film director, actor, screenwriter, and producer.
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Ephraim Katzir
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- biologistpoliticianuniversity teacherbiophysicist
- Biography
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Ephraim Katzir was an Israeli biophysicist and Labor Party politician. He was the president of Israel from 1973 until 1978.
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A. B. Yehoshua
- Enrolled in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- In 1961 graduated with Bachelor of Arts
- Occupations
- writerplaywrightpedagoguescreenwriter
- Biography
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Avraham Gabriel "Boolie" Yehoshua was an Israeli novelist, essayist, and playwright. The New York Times called him the "Israeli Faulkner". Underlying themes in Yehoshua's work are Jewish identity, the tense relations with non-Jews, the conflict between the older and younger generations, and the clash between religion and politics.
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Tamar Zandberg
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- activisteducatorhuman rights defenderpolitician
- Biography
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Tamar Zandberg is an Israeli politician who served as Minister of Environmental Protection from 2021 to 2022, as a member of the Knesset for Meretz from 2013 to 2021, and as the party's leader between 2018 and 2019. As of July 2025 she is the head of the National Institute for Climate and Environmental Policy at Ben Gurion University.
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Maurizio Molinari
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- journalistwriter
- Biography
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Maurizio Molinari is an Italian journalist, who was editor-in-chief of the daily la Repubblica between 23 April 2020 and 6 October 2024, after serving five years as editor-in-chief of la La Stampa.
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Yigael Yadin
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- military personnelpoliticianarchaeologistanthropologistmilitary officer
- Biography
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Yigael Yadin was an Israeli archeologist, soldier and politician. He was the second Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces and Deputy Prime Minister from 1977 to 1981.
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Yael Dayan
- Enrolled in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Studied international relations
- Occupations
- writerhuman rights defenderjournalistpolitician
- Biography
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Yael Dayan, also known as Yaël Dayan, was an Israeli politician and author. She served as a member of the Knesset between 1992 and 2003, and from 2008 to 2013 was the chair of Tel Aviv city council. Her service on the city council ended with the 2013 election. She was the daughter of Moshe Dayan and the sister of Assaf (Assi) and Ehud (Udi) Dayan.
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Avi Gabbai
- Occupations
- chief executive officerpolitician
- Biography
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Avraham "Avi" Gabbay is an Israeli businessman and politician. He was CEO of the telecommunications company Bezeq from 2007 to 2013, then entered politics. He served as Minister of Environmental Protection between 2015 and 2016 as a member of the Kulanu party, before being elected leader of the Israeli Labor Party in 2017. He was elected to the Knesset in April 2019, but resigned as leader shortly afterwards. He did not run in the September 2019 elections. After leaving politics, Gabbay returned to the business world. He is currently the CEO of Partner.
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Yehuda Amichai
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- playwrightpoetwritertranslatornovelist
- Biography
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Yehuda Amichai was an Israeli poet and author, one of the first to write in colloquial Hebrew in modern times. Yehuda Amichai, the poet of everyday life, love, and death, is the most internationally renowned Israeli poet. His 17 books have been translated into more than 20 languages, including Chinese and Japanese. He was a people's poet who believed that his poetry should reflect ordinary life. As he once said, "I am also living among the dead." He changed his last name to "Amichai," meaning "My nation lives."
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Uri Zohar
- Occupations
- screenwriterfilm directorstand-up comedianrabbiactor
- Biography
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Uri Zohar was an Israeli film director, actor, comedian and rabbi.A major figure of the New Sensibility movement in Israeli cinema, he became one of the country's most prolific and prominent filmmakers in the 1960s and 1970s.He was named a recipient of the Israel Prize for Cinema in 1976, but he declined to accept the award.
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Ze'ev Elkin
- Occupations
- historianpoliticianjournalist
- Biography
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Ze'ev Elkin is an Israeli politician who currently serves as a Member of the Knesset for the New Hope Party. He was previously a member of the Knesset for Kadima, Likud and the National Unity Party and served as Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, Minister of Housing and Construction, Minister of Immigrant Absorption, Minister of Environmental Protection, Minister of Higher Education and Minister of Water Resources.
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Omer Bar-Lev
- Occupations
- politicianmilitary officer
- Biography
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Omer Israel Bar-Lev is an Israeli politician who formerly served as Minister of Public Security. He was previously a member of the Knesset for the Israeli Labor Party. He was placed seventh on the party's list for the 2013 Israeli legislative election, and serves as the Party's point person on issues of peace and defense. Bar-Lev is an IDF reserve officer with the rank of colonel (Aluf mishne), who was commander of the Sayeret Matkal elite commando unit between 1984 and 1987.
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Aharon Appelfeld
- Occupations
- writerprose writeruniversity teacherphysical education teacher
- Biography
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Aharon Appelfeld was an Israeli novelist and Holocaust survivor.
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Ofer Winter
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Ofer Winter is a retired Israel Defense Forces Brigadier General who has served in the reserves since 2024. He served as the commander of 98th Paratroopers Division, the military secretary to the Israeli Minister of Defense, the Chief of Staff of Central Command, the commander of the Givati Brigade, the commander of the Northern Brigade in the Gaza Strip, the commander of the 646 Brigade, the commander of the Duvdevan Unit, and the commander of the Givati Reconnaissance Battalion.
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Hagai Segal
- Occupations
- writernewspaper editorjournalistopinion journalist
- Biography
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Hagai Segal is an Israeli author and journalist, former editor of the Makor Rishon newspaper.
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Mordechai Gur
- Occupations
- military officerwriterpolitician
- Biography
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Mordechai "Motta" Gur was an Israeli politician and the 10th Chief of Staff of the Israel Defense Forces. During the Six-Day War (1967), he commanded the brigade that penetrated the Old City of Jerusalem and broadcast the famous words, "The Temple Mount is in our hands!" (Hebrew: הר הבית בידינו, Har HaBayit B'Yadeinu). As Chief of Staff, he had responsibility for planning and executing Operation Entebbe (1976) to free Jewish hostages in Uganda. He later entered the Knesset and held various ministerial portfolios. Gur wrote three popular children's books and three books about military history.
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Tzachi Hanegbi
- Occupations
- trade unionistpolitician
- Biography
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Tzachi Hanegbi is an Israeli politician and national security expert who served as Israel's National Security Advisor from 2023 to 2025. A member of Likud, Hanegbi previously served as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Minister of Regional Cooperation and Minister of Community Affairs.
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Zvi Yehezkeli
- Occupations
- filmmakerorientalistjournalist
- Biography
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Zvi Yehezkeli (Hebrew: צבי (צביקה) יחזקאלי; born August 17, 1970) is an Israeli television journalist and documentarian. He is an commentator on Arab affairs.
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Danny Danon
- Occupations
- diplomatpolitician
- Biography
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Danny Danon is an Israeli politician and diplomat serving as Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations since 2024, and previously from 2015 to 2020. A member of the Likud party, he served in the Knesset from 2009 to 2015 and from 2022 to 2024. The former leader of the world Betar organization, Danon was elected Chairman of the World Likud. Considered a "right-wing thorn in Netanyahu's side", Danon challenged Benjamin Netanyahu for the party's leadership in 2007 and 2014.
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Daphne Koller
- Occupations
- computer scientistengineeruniversity teacherartificial intelligence researcher
- Biography
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Daphne Koller is an Israeli-American computer scientist. She was a professor in the department of computer science at Stanford University and a MacArthur Foundation fellowship recipient. She is one of the founders of Coursera, an online education platform. Her general research area is artificial intelligence and its applications in the biomedical sciences. Koller was featured in a 2004 article by MIT Technology Review titled "10 Emerging Technologies That Will Change Your World" concerning the topic of Bayesian machine learning.
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Shulamit Aloni
- Occupations
- women's rights activisthuman rights defenderwriteradvocatelawyer
- Biography
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Shulamit Aloni was an Israeli politician. She founded the progressive Ratz party, was leader of the Meretz party, Leader of the Opposition from 1988 to 1990, and served as Minister of Education from 1992 to 1993. In 2000, she won the Israel Prize. Throughout her decades-long political career, Aloni advocated for secularism, a peaceful solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, equal treatment of Arab citizens of Israel and Palestinians and introduced the law that decriminalised homosexuality.
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Ehud Yaari
- Occupations
- orientalistwriterjournalist
- Biography
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Ehud Yaari is an Israeli journalist, author, television personality and political commentator.
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Danny Yatom
- Occupations
- politicianmilitary officer
- Biography
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Danny Yatom is a former Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Labor. In 1996–1998, Yatom was head of the Mossad and between 1999 and 2001, he served as Prime Minister Ehud Barak's Chief Of Staff and security advisor.
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Benny Begin
- Occupations
- geologistpolitician
- Biography
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Ze'ev Binyamin Begin (Hebrew: זאב בנימין "בני" בגין; born 1 March 1943), is an Israeli geologist and politician, having previously served as a member for Likud and Herut – The National Movement. He is the son of former Prime Minister of Israel Menachem Begin.
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Nimrod Aloni
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Nimrod Aloni is a major-general in the Israeli Defence Force.
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Shevah Weiss
- Occupations
- pedagoguepolitical scientistwriteruniversity teacherpolitician
- Biography
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Shevah Weiss was an Israeli politician who served as Knesset Speaker under Yitzhak Rabin. He was Israel's ambassador to Poland and chairman of Yad Vashem.
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Yuval Steinitz
- Enrolled in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Graduated with Bachelor of Arts in philosophy
- Occupations
- pedagoguephilosopheruniversity teacherpolitician
- Biography
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Yuval Steinitz is an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for the Likud party. He also held several ministerial posts, including Minister of Finance, Minister of Intelligence, Minister of Strategic Affairs and Minister of Energy. Steinitz holds a PhD in philosophy and has been a senior lecturer at the University of Haifa. His book "Invitation to Philosophy", was published in 74 editions and printings and considered the best-selling philosophy book in the history of the State of Israel. Steinitz currently serves as chairman of the board of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
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Shlomo Goren
- Occupations
- rabbimilitary officer
- Biography
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Shlomo Goren was a Polish-born Israeli rabbi and Talmudic scholar. An Orthodox Jew and Religious Zionist, he was considered a foremost rabbinical legal authority on matters of Jewish religious law (halakha). In 1948, Goren founded and served as the first head of the Military Rabbinate of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), a position he held until 1968. Subsequently, he served as Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv–Jaffa between 1968 and his 1972 election as the Chief Rabbi of Israel; the fourth Ashkenazi Jew to hold office. After his 1983 retirement from the country's Chief Rabbinate, Goren served as the head of a yeshiva that he established in Jerusalem.
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Meirav Cohen
- Occupations
- politicianactivist
- Biography
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Meirav Cohen is an Israeli politician and social equality activist. She is currently a member of the Knesset for Yesh Atid and served as Minister for Social Equality from May 2020 to January 2021. She took up the post again in June 2021.
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Ehud Manor
- Occupations
- television presentersongwriterlyricisttranslatorpoet
- Biography
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Ehud Manor was an Israeli lyricist, translator, poet and radio and TV personality. He is widely considered to have been Israel's most prolific lyricist of all time, having written or translated over 1,000 songs. In 1998, he was awarded the Israel Prize for his exceptional contributions to Israeli music.
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Alona Barkat
- Occupations
- businessperson
- Biography
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Alona Barkat is an Israeli businesswoman, and owner of the football team Hapoel Be'er Sheva.
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Abraham Burg
- Occupations
- writerpolitician
- Biography
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Abraham "Avrum" Burg is an Israeli author, politician, and businessman. He was a member of the Knesset, chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, Speaker of the Knesset, and Interim President of Israel. He was the first Speaker of the Knesset to have been born in Israel after its declaration of independence in 1948. A member of the Labor Party when he was a member of the Knesset, Burg announced in January 2015 that he had joined Hadash.
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Nechama Rivlin
- Occupations
- secretary
- Biography
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Nechama Rivlin was an Israeli researcher, science secretary, and First Lady of Israel from 2014 to 2019. She worked at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem from 1967 to 2007.
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Joseph Raz
- Occupations
- university teacherphilosopher
- Biography
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Joseph Raz FBA was an Israeli legal, moral and political philosopher. He was an advocate of legal positivism and is known for his conception of perfectionist liberalism. Raz spent most of his career as a professor of philosophy of law at Balliol College, Oxford, and was latterly a part-time professor of law at Columbia University Law School and a part-time professor at King's College London. He received the Tang Prize in Rule of Law in 2018.
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Aaron Ciechanover
- Occupations
- university teacherpedagoguechemistbiochemistphysician
- Biography
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Aaron Ciechanover is an Israeli biologist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for characterizing the method that cells use to degrade and recycle proteins using ubiquitin.
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Tom Segev
- Occupations
- journalisthistorian
- Biography
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Tom Segev is an Israeli historian, author and journalist. He is associated with Israel's New Historians, a group critical of many of the country's traditional narratives.
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Isaac Amit
- Enrolled in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Graduated with Bachelor of Laws
- Occupations
- judgeadvocate
- Biography
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Yitzhak Amit is an Israeli jurist currently serving as President of the Supreme Court of Israel since February 2025, having been the court's acting president from October 2024 to February 2025. He has been a justice of the Supreme Court of Israel since 2009. He is widely considered as a liberal justice and has had a major impact on the Supreme Court.
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Joshua Angrist
- Occupations
- university teachereconomisteconometrician
- Biography
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Joshua David Angrist is an Israeli American economist and Ford Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Angrist, together with Guido Imbens, was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics in 2021 "for their methodological contributions to the analysis of causal relationships".
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Ephraim Halevy
- Occupations
- diplomatpedagoguejournalist
- Biography
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Efraim Halevy is an Israeli intelligence expert and diplomat. He was the 9th director of the Mossad and the 3rd head of the Israeli National Security Council.
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Samuel Willenberg
- Occupations
- painterwritersculptormilitary personnelresistance fighter
- Biography
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Samuel Willenberg, nom de guerre Igo, was a Polish Holocaust survivor, artist, and writer. He was a Sonderkommando at the Treblinka extermination camp and participated in the unit's planned revolt in August 1943. While 300 escaped, about 79 were known to survive the war. Willenberg reached Warsaw where, before war's end, he took part in the Warsaw Uprising. At his death, Willenberg was the last survivor of the August 1943 Treblinka prisoners' revolt.
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Zeruya Shalev
- Enrolled in the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
- Graduated with laurea magistrale in biblical studies
- Occupations
- literary editorscreenwriternovelistwriterchildren's writer
- Biography
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Zeruya Shalev is an Israeli author.
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Barak Hiram
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Barak Hiram is an IDF officer with the rank of Brigadier general, currently serving as the commander of the Gaza Division. Previously, he served as the commander of the 99th Infantry Division, the Golani Brigade, the commander of the live-fire training center in the IDF, the commander of the Golani Brigade, the commander of Golani's training base, and the commander of Battalion 51.
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Martin van Creveld
- Occupations
- university teachermilitary historianwriter
- Biography
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Martin Levi van Creveld is an Israeli military historian and theorist.
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Eli Zeira
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Eli Zeira was a major general in the Israel Defense Forces. He was director of Aman, Israel's military intelligence, during the 1973 Yom Kippur War. He is most remembered for his ill-conceived prewar assessment that Egypt and Syria would not attack (also known as "The Concept"), despite intelligence to the contrary.
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Dalia Itzik
- Occupations
- educatorpoliticiantrade unionist
- Biography
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Dalia Itzik is an Israeli former politician who last served as a member of the Knesset for Kadima. She has previously served in several ministerial positions, and on 4 May 2006 became the first female speaker of the Knesset, and served as President of Israel in an interim capacity in July 2007.
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Zeev Sternhell
- Occupations
- historianopinion journalistpolitical scientistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Zeev Sternhell was a Polish-born Israeli historian, political scientist, commentator on the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, and writer. He was one of the world's leading theorists of the phenomenon of fascism. Sternhell headed the Department of Political Science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and wrote for Haaretz newspaper.
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Uzi Dayan
- Occupations
- military personnelmilitary officerpolitician
- Biography
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Aluf Uzi Dayan (Hebrew: עוזי דיין; born January 4, 1948) is a former general in the Israel Defense Forces and an Israeli politician. He served as a member of the Knesset for Likud from 2020 to 2021.
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Geulah Cohen
- Occupations
- writerjournalistpublisherpolitician
- Biography
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Geulah Cohen was an Israeli politician and activist who founded the Tehiya party. She won the Israel Prize in 2003. Between 1974 and 1992, she served as a member of Knesset, initially for Likud. She changed her political affiliation to Tehiya in 1979. In 1992, she lost her seat in the Knesset.
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Jacob Perry
- Occupations
- chief executive officerpoliticianmanager
- Biography
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Ya'akov Peri is a former head of the Israeli security agency Shin Bet and formerly a member of the Knesset for Yesh Atid. He headed Shin Bet between 1988 and 1994. He was the first Shin Bet head born in Israel. After his service with Shin Bet he entered the business world. He became an MK in 2013 and was appointed Minister of Science, Technology and Space, a post he held until resigning on 2 December 2014. He resigned from the Knesset in February 2018.
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Amira Hass
- Occupations
- opinion journalistwriterjournalist
- Biography
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Amira Hass is an Israeli journalist, columnist, activist, and author, mostly known for her columns in the daily newspaper Haaretz covering Palestinian affairs in Gaza and the West Bank, where she has lived for almost thirty years.
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Avram Hershko
- Occupations
- physicianeducatorbiochemistuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Avram Hershko is a Hungarian-born Israeli biochemist who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2004.
