Israel has competed at the Olympic Games as a nation since 1952. Its National Olympic Committee was formed in 1933, during the British Mandate of Palestine. Israel has sent a team to each Summer Olympic Games since 1952 (except when they participated in the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics), and to each Winter Olympic Games since 1994. The country became a member of the European Olympic Committees (EOC) in 1994.
Medal tables
Medals by Summer Games
Medals by Winter Games
Medals by summer sport
List of medalists
History
In 1933 the Palestine National Olympic Committee was officially formed, and was recognized by the International Olympic Committee in May 1934, despite never competing (the 1936 games were held in Nazi Germany and were boycotted by this Jewish Olympic committee, while the 1940 and 1944 games were cancelled due to World War II). Although the Palestine National committee represented Muslims, Jews, and Christians living in British-ruled Mandatory Palestine, its rules stated that they "represent[ed] the Jewish National Home." In 1948, shortly after the State of Israel was established, its request to participate in the 1948 Olympics was denied, as Mandatory Palestine had ceased to exist and the newly formed State of Israel wasn't yet recognized by IOC.
Israel was previously part of the Asian Games Federation until it was disbanded in 1981. In 1982 instead of joining the new Olympic Council of Asia, Israel opted to join the European Olympic Committees.
Competing
Israel won its first Olympic medal in its tenth Olympic appearance, in 1992, in Judo when Yael Arad won a silver medal. She was followed a day later by another judoka, Oren Smadja, who won bronze. Since then, Israel won a bronze medal in five successive Summer Olympics until the streak ended in 2012. Additionally, in 2004, Gal Fridman became Israel's first gold medallist, in men's windsurfing. This was his second medal, following his bronze in 1996, and he is the only individual multi-medallist. Israel also won 2 bronze medals in 2016. In the postponed 2020 Games Israel received 2 gold medals, won by Artem Dolgopyat in men's gymnastics (floor routine), and Linoy Ashram in women's rhythmic gymnastics (individual all-around), and 2 bronze medals, one won by Avishag Semberg in taekwondo, and 1 won by the judo Mixed team. As a member of the Israel national judo Mixed team, Ori Sasson became Israel's second multi-medalist, while the latter bronze one is a shared one. Through 2018, Israel has not won any medals in the Winter Olympics.
Ágnes Keleti, who emigrated to Israel in 1957, holds more medals than any other Israeli citizen. During the 1952 and 1956 Summer Olympics Ágnes won 10 medals competing for Hungary at the Olympics. The only Jew to hold more medals than Keleti is American swimmer Mark Spitz, who won 11.
Israel has been more successful at the Paralympic Games than at the Olympics, with 375 medals between 1960 and 2016.
Conflicts with nations
1972 Summer Olympics
Eleven members of the Israeli Olympic team were murdered by Palestinian terrorists during the Munich massacre. The tragedy caused the Israeli delegation to withdraw from the remainder of the Games.
The murdered people were:
David Berger, 28, weightlifter
Ze'ev Friedman, 28, weightlifter
Yossef Gutfreund, 40, wrestling referee
Eliezer Halfin, 24, wrestler
Yossef Romano, 32, weightlifter
Amitzur Shapira, 40, track coach
Kehat Shorr, 53, shooting coach
Mark Slavin, 18, wrestler
Andre Spitzer, 27, fencing coach
Yakov Springer, 51, weightlifting judge
Moshe Weinberg, 33, wrestling coach
On 3 August 2016, two days prior to the start of the 2016 Summer Olympics, the International Olympic Committee officially honored the Israelis killed for the first time. They were also honored during the Opening Ceremonies of the 2020 Summer Olympics.
1980 Summer Olympics
Israel was one of the countries that boycotted the Moscow Olympics in protest at the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, but also because of Soviet opposition to Israel and Zionism.