Israel has punched above its weight on the world stage, producing scientists, writers and leaders whose work has had international impact. A compact country with a deep research and civil-society infrastructure makes for a concentrated list worth reviewing.
There are 12 Israel’s Nobel Prize Winners, ranging from Aaron Ciechanover to Yitzhak Rabin. The list is organized by Year, Prize category, and Israel connection so you can see when each prize was awarded, in which field, and how the laureate relates to Israel — you’ll find below.
Which fields have Israel’s Nobel Prize winners been recognized in?
Israel’s laureates span several areas, notably chemistry, peace, economics, medicine and literature; the distribution reflects strengths in scientific research, political leadership and the humanities. See the entries below for each individual year and prize category.
How is “Israel connection” defined in this list?
“Israel connection” notes whether a laureate held Israeli citizenship, worked at Israeli institutions, was born in the territory, or maintained significant professional ties to Israel; each entry briefly explains the specific connection you’ll find below.
Israel’s Nobel Prize Winners
| Name | Year | Prize category | Israel connection |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.Y. Agnon | 1966 | Literature | Israeli citizen; longtime resident and writer in Israel |
| Menachem Begin | 1978 | Peace | Israeli citizen; Prime Minister of Israel at time of award |
| Shimon Peres | 1994 | Peace | Israeli citizen; senior Israeli statesman and official at award |
| Yitzhak Rabin | 1994 | Peace | Israeli citizen; Prime Minister of Israel at time of award |
| Aaron Ciechanover | 2004 | Chemistry | Israeli citizen; affiliated with Technion and Israeli research institutions |
| Avram Hershko | 2004 | Chemistry | Israeli citizen; affiliated with Technion and Israeli research institutions |
| Robert Aumann | 2005 | Economic Sciences | Israeli citizen; affiliated with Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
| Ada Yonath | 2009 | Chemistry | Israeli citizen; Weizmann Institute affiliation |
| Daniel Kahneman | 2002 | Economic Sciences | Israeli citizen; long career including Israeli affiliations |
| Daniel Shechtman | 2011 | Chemistry | Israeli citizen; Technion affiliation |
| Arieh Warshel | 2013 | Chemistry | Israeli citizen; Israeli‑born, U.S. affiliation at award |
| Michael Levitt | 2013 | Chemistry | Held Israeli citizenship; U.S./U.K. affiliations at award |
Images and Descriptions
S.Y. Agnon
Shmuel Yosef (S.Y.) Agnon, Israel’s first Nobel literature laureate, won for narrative art rooted in Jewish tradition and modern Hebrew life. He lived and wrote in Israel, becoming a defining voice of Hebrew fiction and cultural memory.
Menachem Begin
Menachem Begin received the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Anwar Sadat for the Egypt‑Israel peace treaty. As Israel’s prime minister, Begin negotiated historic diplomacy, marking a major shift in Middle East relations and cementing his international legacy.
Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres shared the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize with Yitzhak Rabin for efforts toward peace with the Palestinians and the Oslo Accords. A long‑serving Israeli leader, Peres was instrumental in pursuing diplomacy and regional reconciliation.
Yitzhak Rabin
Yitzhak Rabin was co‑recipient of the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize for his role in negotiating the Oslo Accords. As prime minister, Rabin pursued a controversial peace process that reshaped Israeli politics and regional dialogue.
Aaron Ciechanover
Aaron Ciechanover shared the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discoveries on ubiquitin‑mediated protein degradation. An Israeli biochemist, his work at Israeli institutions transformed understanding of cellular protein recycling and disease mechanisms.
Avram Hershko
Avram Hershko co‑won the 2004 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for elucidating the ubiquitin system that tags proteins for destruction. An Israeli scientist whose research has major biomedical implications, he conducted key work in Israel.
Robert Aumann
Robert Aumann won the 2005 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for contributions to conflict and cooperation through game theory. An Israeli mathematician and economist, Aumann’s work influenced economics, political science, and strategic thinking globally.
Ada Yonath
Ada Yonath received the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for pioneering high‑resolution crystallography of the ribosome. An Israeli structural biologist at the Weizmann Institute, her work revealed how ribosomes build proteins and aided antibiotic research.
Daniel Kahneman
Daniel Kahneman won the 2002 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for integrating psychological insights into economic science, founding behavioral economics. Though internationally affiliated, Kahneman has longstanding ties to Israel from education and early career stages.
Daniel Shechtman
Daniel Shechtman won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for discovering quasicrystals, a new form of matter with ordered but non‑periodic atomic arrangements. An Israeli materials scientist at the Technion, his findings reshaped crystallography.
Arieh Warshel
Arieh Warshel shared the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for developing multiscale models for complex chemical systems. Born and educated in Israel, Warshel retained Israeli ties though he worked primarily in the United States at the time.
Michael Levitt
Michael Levitt co‑received the 2013 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for computational studies of biomolecules. With roots and professional ties spanning Israel, the U.K., and the U.S., Levitt’s work advanced molecular modeling crucial to biology and medicine.
