List of Israeli Mizrahi and Sephardi Jews

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This is a list of notable Mizrahi Jews and Sephardi Jews in Israel, including both original immigrants who obtained Israeli citizenship and their Israeli descendants.

Traditionally the terms "Mizrahi Jews" and "Sephardi Jews" were used as all encompassing terms referring to the Jews descended from the Jewish communities of Iberia, North Africa and the Middle East; but due to the melting pot effect of the Israeli society the terms have gradually become more vague. Many Israeli descendants of Mizrahi and Sephardi Jewish immigrants have gradually adopted the Israeli culture and intermarried with descendants of other Jewish communities.

Government and Politicians[]

Dudi Amsalem - politician, member of Likud.
Haim Amsalem – politician. Former member of the Shas Party. In 2011 Amsalem established the Whole Nation party.
Shlomo Ben Ami - diplomat, politician and historian^[1]
Michael Ben-Ari – Israeli politician and current member of the Knesset^[2]
Binyamin Ben-Eliezer politician, held several ministerial posts, including Minister of Industry, Trade and Labour; Minister of Defense; and Deputy Prime Minister. Born in Iraq
Aryeh Bibi - politician, Iraqi Jewish member of Knesset for Kadima. Born in Baghdad, Iraq.
Aryeh Deri - politician, and former leader of Israel's Shas Party. Born in Meknes, Morocco.
Yaakov Edri - Member of Knesset for Kadima. Born In Morocco.
Gila Gamliel - Member of the Knesset for Likud and minister
Sharren Haskel - member of the Knesset for Likud.
Yoel Hasson - politician, member of Knesset for Kadima.
Dalya Itzik - politician who serves as a member of the Knesset for Kadima
Avigdor Kahalani - former member of the Labor Party.
Moshe Kahlon - Kulanu Party Chairman, member of the Knesset and current Finance Minister
Moshe Katsav – Former President of Israel (2000–2007)
David Levy - politician who served as a member of the Knesset between 1969 and 2006
Orly Levy – former model who is a politician
Shaul Mofaz – Former Israeli Minister of Defense, currently number two on the Kadima list in the Knesset
Yitzhak Mordechai - former general and former politician
Amir Ohana Israeli lawyer, former Shin Bet official and politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Likud
Shimon Ohayon - politician. MK member for the Likud party.
Amir Peretz - politician and member of the Knesset for the Labour Party
Rafi Peretz (1956-) Israel Minister of Education and former Chief Military Rabbi
Miri Regev - Member of the Knesset and minister
Silvan Shalom - politician who previously served as Israel's Foreign Minister and Finance Minister
Meir Sheetrit - politician who serves as a member of the Knesset for Kadima
Robert Tiviaev- politician, Mountain Jew, current member of Knesset for Kadima. Born in Daghestan.
Eli Yishai - politician, and current leader of Israel's Shas Party
Mordechai Zar – Israeli politician and former member of the Knesset
Jessica Meir - American Astronaut with NASA

Military[]

Gabi Ashkenazi – Former Chief of the IDF General Staff^[3]
Moshe Barazani - Iraqi Kurdish Jew and a member of Lehi^[4]
Eitan Ben Eliyahu – Former Major General in the Israeli Defence Forces^[5]^[6]
Eli Cohen – Israeli spy who worked in Syria and was eventually exposed and executed in Syria in 1965^[7]
Gadi Eizenkot - current chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces^[8]
David Elazar - Former Chief of the IDF General Staff
Dan Halutz – Former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces^[9]
Moshe Levi - Former Chief of the IDF General Staff
Shaul Mofaz – Former Israeli Minister of Defense, Former Chief of the IDF General Staff.^[10]
Yitzhak Mordechai - former general and former Israeli Minister of Defense^[11]

Activists[]

Abie Nathan – Humanitarian and peace activist^[12]
Hen Mazzig – Writer and speaker. A senior fellow at the Tel Aviv Institute.^[13]

Religious figures[]

Elazar Abuhatzeira, Orthodox Sefardi rabbi and kabbalist.
Rabbi Amram Aburbeh, Chief Rabbi of Petah Tikva^[14]
Rabbi Shlomo Moshe Amar, Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel and Rishon LeZion^[15]
Rabbi Shalom Arush, is an Israeli Breslov rabbi and founder of the Chut Shel Chessed Institutions. Arush is considered one of today's leading Hasidic spiritual guides.^[16]
Mordechai Eliyahu, Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel 1983–93, (1929–2010)
Yosef Chaim HaCohen, Rabbi, Rabad, Rosh Av Beth Din Chief judge of the Ma'araviim congregation in Jerusalem he:יוסף חיים הכהן
Yoshiyahu Yosef Pinto, Israeli Jewish spiritual leader and Kabbalist who lives in New York City.^[17]
Moshe Shmuel Shapira, rosh yeshiva of Be'er Yaakov
Yosef Qafih, Yemen-born rabbi and scholar
Rabbi Amnon Yitzhak, a Yemenite Haredi rabbi
Ovadia Yoseph, the former Sephardi Chief Rabbi of Israel^[18]

Businesspeople and entrepreneurs[]

Shai Agassi - Israeli Entrepreneur

Shai Agassi - Israeli entrepreneur. The founder and CEO of Better Place, which has developed a model and infrastructure for employing electric cars as an alternative to fossil fuel technology.
Alona Barkat owner of the football team Hapoel Be'er Sheva. Sister-in-law of former Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat.^[19]
Zadik Bino - Israeli businessman, owner of the First International Bank of Israel.^[20]
Patrick Drahi - Israeli-French businessman^[21]
Shlomo Eliahu - Israeli businessman
Yakir Gabay - Israeli-born billionaire who founded Aroundtown SA
Isaac Larian - businessman^[22]
Lev Leviev – diamond tycoon
Haim Saban – Israeli-American television and media proprietor. Saban was ranked by Forbes as the 104th richest person in America.^[23]
Yitzhak Tshuva - Israeli business magnate.^[24]

Academic figures[]

Avshalom Elitzur - Israeli Physicist

Michel Abitbol, historian, professor, and chair of the Department of African Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.^[25]
Amnon Netzer – historian, researcher, professor and journalist.
Avshalom Elitzur – physicist and philosopher
Moshe Bar-Asher – linguist^[26]
Smadar Lavie - anthropologist, visiting fellow at the University of California, Berkeley
Maor Farid - researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, social activist and author
Raphael Mechoulam – chemist, discoverer of tetrahydrocannabinol and anandamide

Cultural figures[]

Film, TV, and stage[]

Lior Ashkenazi - actor
Ze'ev Revach - actor and comedian
Moshe Ivgy - actor
Uri Gavriel - actor
[he] - actor
Yosef Shiloach - actor
Ronit Elkabetz - actress and filmmaker
Gali Atari – singer and actress
Ofra Haza – singer, actress and international recording artist.
Liraz Charhi – actress and singer.
Shiri Maimon - singer, TV show host and actress
Alon Abutbul - actor
Yigal Bashan – singer, composer and actor
Sasson Gabai - actor
Yehuda Levi - actor and model
Oshik Levi – singer, actor, and entertainer
Dover Kosashvili - film director and screenwriter

Eli Yatzpan - television host and comedian
- comedian and actor
Orna Banai - actress, comedian and entertainer
Shaike Levi - comedian, singer and actor
- comedian, singer and actor
Eli Finish - actor and comedian
Mariano Idelman - actor and comedian
Asi Cohen - comedian and actor
- comedian
- comedian, actor and screenwriter
Naor Zion – comedian/actor/director
[de] - comedian and actor
Erez Tal - media personality
- media personality
Lior Raz - actor and screenwriter
Tzachi Halevy - actor & singer

Models[]

Moran Atias – model and actress
Sendi Bar – model and actress
Yael Abecassis – model and actress
Linor Abargil – Israeli beauty pageant contestant who won the Miss World beauty pageant in 1998
Miri Bohadana – model and actress
[he] – model and actress
Orly Levy – former model who is a politician
[sv] – model and actress
[de] – model and actress
Becky Griffin – model, TV presenter and an actress
Yehuda Levi - actor and model

Popular musicians[]

Etti Ankri – singer/songwriter
Harel Skaat – singer/songwriter
Ehud Banai – singer/songwriter
Amir Benayoun – singer-songwriter
Boaz Mauda – singer-songwriter
Moshe Peretz – singer-songwriter and composer
Boaz Sharabi – singer/songwriter and composer
Avihu Medina – singer-songwriter and composer
Shlomi Shabat – singer and composer
Avi Toledano – singer and composer
Izhar Cohen - singer and composer
Miki Gavrielov – singer and composer
Dana International – pop singer
Ishtar – vocalist for Alabina
Ahinoam Nini (Noa) – singer
Ninet Tayeb - pop rock singer and actress
Rita – Israeli pop-star
Subliminal (rapper) – Israeli rap singer
Yossi Banai – performer, singer, and actor
Ofra Haza – singer, actress and international recording artist
Oshik Levi – singer, actor, and entertainer
Rami Fortis – rock singer
Pe'er Tasi – singer
Corinne Allal – rock singer, composer and songwriter.

Zohar Argov – singer
Shoshana Damari – singer
Gali Atari – singer and actress
Lior Narkis – singer
Margalit Tsan'ani – singer and television personality
Haim Moshe – singer
Daklon – singer
Eyal Golan – singer
Shimi Tavori – singer
Zion Golan – singer
Kobi Oz – singer
Shlomo Bar – singer
Zehava Ben – singer
Kobi Peretz – singer
Moshik Afia – singer
Gad Elbaz – singer
Sarit Hadad – singer
Shiri Maimon - singer, TV show host and actress
Mosh Ben-Ari - musician, lyricist and composer
Yigal Bashan – singer, composer and actor
[pl] – singer
Yuval Banai – singer
Berry Sakharof – rock guitarist, songwriter and singer

Various[]

Adi Nes – Photographer^[27]

Sports[]

Association Football[]

Yossi Benayoun

Omri Casspi

Dudu Aouate – goalkeeper (RCD Mallorca, national team)^[28]
Gai Assulin – winger/attacking midfielder (Manchester City, national team)
Pini Balili, Israel/Turkey – striker (Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv, national team)
Yossi Benayoun – attacking midfielder, national team captain, Hapoel Be'er Sheva, Maccabi Haifa, Racing Santander, West Ham United, Liverpool, Chelsea
Tal Ben Haim – center back/right back, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Bolton Wanderers, Chelsea, West Ham United^[29]
Avi Cohen – defender, Liverpool and national team
Yaniv Katan – forward/winger (Maccabi Haifa, national team)
Eli Ohana – won UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and Bravo Award (most outstanding young player in Europe); national team; manager
Haim Revivo – attacking/side midfielder (national team), Maccabi Haifa, Celta de Vigo, Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray
Idan Tal – midfielder (Beitar Jerusalem FC & national team)
Itzik Zohar – attacking midfielder (national team), Maccabi Jaffa, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Royal Antwerp, Beitar Jerusalem, Crystal Palace, Maccabi Haifa, Maccabi Herzliya, Maccabi Netanya, F.C. Ashdod, Hapoel Nazareth Illit

Shahar Tzuberi

Basketball[]

Omri Casspi – 6' 9" Small Forward, drafted in 1st round of 2009 NBA Draft (Cleveland Cavaliers)^[30]
Oded Katash - 6'5" Point Guard, Israeli National Basketball Team Coach
Motti Aroesti - 6'2" Point Guard.
Lior Eliyahu - 6'9" Power Forward, drafted in 2nd round of 2006 NBA Draft by Orlando Magic.
Lior Arditi - 6'4" Point Guard.
Doron Jamchi - 6'6" Shooting Guard.
Shimon Amsalem - 6'8" Power Forward & Center.
Dror Hajaj - 5'10" Point Guard.
Yogev Ohayon - 6'2" Point Guard.
- 6'5" Point & Shooting Guard.
Eliahu Amiel - 6'1" Point Guard.
Afik Nissim - 6'1" Point Guard.
- 5'11" Point Guard.

Olympic Sports Athlets[]

Shahar Tzuberi, Israel, windsurfer, Olympic bronze (RS:X discipline); 2009 & 2010 European Windsurf champion^[31]

References[]

^ "Shlomo Ben-Ami". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
^ "Knesseth profile of Michael Ben--Ari" (in Hebrew). Knesset. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
^ Ashkenazi, Eli (2011-05-15). "The Saga of Syrian Youth Aliyah". Haaretz. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
^ Moshe Barazani
^ "Welcome to Encyclopaedia Iranica".
^ "MAHAR2".
^ "Eli Cohen (1924–1965)". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
^ The Israeli army gets its first Moroccan chief-of-staff – so why the Ashkenazi name?, Haaretz, by Elon Gilad, December 1, 2014.
^ Sam Hopkins (February 28, 2007). "Cultural Crossover on a Sword's Edge". Wealth Daily. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
^ Shaul Mofaz meets ORT supporters in USA
^ Yitzhak Mordechai: Particulars Knesset website
^ "Abie Nathan". abie-nathan.com. Noam Tal. July 2005. Archived from the original on 27 April 2007. Retrieved 2 May 2007.
^ Narunsky, Gareth. "Advocate's family story". ajn.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2021-01-06.
^ עמרם אבורביע [Amram Aburbeh]. Jewish Encyclopedia Daat (in Hebrew). Herzog College. Retrieved 18 January 2013.
^ SHARON, JEREMY (2014-04-20). "Peres meets with Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, Shas outcast Rabbi Shlomo Amar". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
^ Kliger, Aaron; Feldman, Yonatan. "From Airborne Medic to Spiritual Leader: An exclusive interview with Rabbi Shalom Arush". Sha'a Tova Magazine. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
^ Nathan-Kazis, Josh (June 23, 2010). "Charismatic Moroccan Kabbalist Draws Crowds And Questions". The Jewish Daily Forward. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
^ Kershner, Isabel (7 October 2013). "Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Influential Spiritual Leader in Israel, Dies at 93". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
^ Hapoel Beersheba Owner Alona Barkat Joins New Right. The Jerusalem Post
^ Aliyah from Iraq
^ - Visao Sapo - Quem é Patrick Drahi, o homem que quer juntar a TVI à PT
^ Bratz toymaker Isaac Larian living the American dream. JewishJournal.com, December 6, 2007. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
^ Shavit, Ari (September 12, 2006). ""You" made it big, you jerk!'". Israel: Haaretz. Archived from the original on May 28, 2008. Retrieved May 7, 2008.
^ Nachshoni, Kobi (July 15, 2012). "64 שנים אחרי: משפחת תשובה סוגרת מעגל" (in Hebrew). Ynet.
^ Karmel, Melamed (2008-02-18). "Iranian Jews mourn passing of Dr. Netzer". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2020-06-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
^ "Jews of the Maghreb". Yale University. 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2011.
^ "Underpinnings of Greek Tragedy in Israel". 2012-07-17.
^ Harush, Moshe (September 22, 2006). "Awat sparks storm with decision to play on Yom Kippur". Ha'aretz. Retrieved July 4, 2008.
^ "Avram Grant and Tal Ben-Haim set to miss West Ham game for Jewish holiday", The Telegraph, September 4, 2010. Retrieved December 24, 2010.
^ Bloom, Nate (January 21, 2010). "Jews (and Mel) on the big screen, Winter sports roundup". Jweekly. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
^ "Dempsey misses windsurfing medal", BBC Sports, August 20, 2008. Retrieved September 10, 2008.

[jewvlib-1] "Shlomo Ben-Ami". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved 8 September 2012.

[Knesseth-2] "Knesseth profile of Michael Ben--Ari" (in Hebrew). Knesset. Retrieved 25 October 2010.

[3] Ashkenazi, Eli (2011-05-15). "The Saga of Syrian Youth Aliyah". Haaretz. Retrieved 2019-02-24.

[4] Moshe Barazani

[5] "Welcome to Encyclopaedia Iranica".

[6] "MAHAR2".

[EliCohen_JVL-7] "Eli Cohen (1924–1965)". Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved 8 May 2019.

[8] The Israeli army gets its first Moroccan chief-of-staff – so why the Ashkenazi name?, Haaretz, by Elon Gilad, December 1, 2014.

[9] Sam Hopkins (February 28, 2007). "Cultural Crossover on a Sword's Edge". Wealth Daily. Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2014.

[10] Shaul Mofaz meets ORT supporters in USA

[K1-11] Yitzhak Mordechai: Particulars Knesset website

[nathan.com-12] "Abie Nathan". abie-nathan.com. Noam Tal. July 2005. Archived from the original on 27 April 2007. Retrieved 2 May 2007.

[13] Narunsky, Gareth. "Advocate's family story". ajn.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2021-01-06.

[daat-14] עמרם אבורביע [Amram Aburbeh]. Jewish Encyclopedia Daat (in Hebrew). Herzog College. Retrieved 18 January 2013.

[15] SHARON, JEREMY (2014-04-20). "Peres meets with Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, Shas outcast Rabbi Shlomo Amar". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 20 May 2014.

[medic-16] Kliger, Aaron; Feldman, Yonatan. "From Airborne Medic to Spiritual Leader: An exclusive interview with Rabbi Shalom Arush". Sha'a Tova Magazine. Retrieved 15 December 2010.

[JDF-17] Nathan-Kazis, Josh (June 23, 2010). "Charismatic Moroccan Kabbalist Draws Crowds And Questions". The Jewish Daily Forward. Retrieved September 27, 2010.

[ny-18] Kershner, Isabel (7 October 2013). "Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, Influential Spiritual Leader in Israel, Dies at 93". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 October 2013.

[19] Hapoel Beersheba Owner Alona Barkat Joins New Right. The Jerusalem Post

[20] Aliyah from Iraq

[21] - Visao Sapo - Quem é Patrick Drahi, o homem que quer juntar a TVI à PT

[JewishJournal-22] Bratz toymaker Isaac Larian living the American dream. JewishJournal.com, December 6, 2007. Retrieved July 7, 2011.

[Shavit2006-09-12-23] Shavit, Ari (September 12, 2006). ""You" made it big, you jerk!'". Israel: Haaretz. Archived from the original on May 28, 2008. Retrieved May 7, 2008.

[24] Nachshoni, Kobi (July 15, 2012). "64 שנים אחרי: משפחת תשובה סוגרת מעגל" (in Hebrew). Ynet.

[25] Karmel, Melamed (2008-02-18). "Iranian Jews mourn passing of Dr. Netzer". Jewish Journal. Retrieved 2020-06-06.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

[26] "Jews of the Maghreb". Yale University. 2010. Retrieved 3 September 2011.

[27] "Underpinnings of Greek Tragedy in Israel". 2012-07-17.

[28] Harush, Moshe (September 22, 2006). "Awat sparks storm with decision to play on Yom Kippur". Ha'aretz. Retrieved July 4, 2008.

[29] "Avram Grant and Tal Ben-Haim set to miss West Ham game for Jewish holiday", The Telegraph, September 4, 2010. Retrieved December 24, 2010.

[jweekly2-30] Bloom, Nate (January 21, 2010). "Jews (and Mel) on the big screen, Winter sports roundup". Jweekly. Retrieved May 13, 2010.

[31] "Dempsey misses windsurfing medal", BBC Sports, August 20, 2008. Retrieved September 10, 2008.

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