Nir Barkat, 50, the successful high-tech entrepreneur and venture capitalist, was elected mayor of Jerusalem in November 2008, pledging to improve life in the city

In March 2009, Benjamin Netanyahu became prime minister of Israel for the second time, having previously led the nation from 1996 to 1999. He has

David Azrieli has had a profound impact on the landscape of Israel. Among the most notable projects of the 87-year-old builder, developer, architect and philanthropist

In his third term as mayor of Tel Aviv (officially Tel Aviv-Jaffa), Ron Huldai, 64, is presiding over the city’s 100th anniversary. He came to

Israel’s leading environmentalist remains as busy as ever, founding one ecological group after another in his singleminded pursuit to save the country’s natural treasures. Alon

An acclaimed author, journalist and lecturer, Yossi Klein Ha­levi, 55, moved to Israel from New York 26 years ago. He serves as a senior fellow

One of Israel’s most respected Middle East experts, Ehud Ya’ari has long been a television commentator on Israel’s Channel 2. He is associate editor of The

Born in an Israeli transit camp for Jewish immigrants from Muslim lands (her father is from Morocco and her mother from Turkey), Ruhama Avraham Balila,