Israel Active

Israel’s Batsheva Dance Company staged three sell-out performances of Sadeh21, a work by Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin at the Concha Velasco auditorium in Madrid. It received standing ovations and no disruption from the protests outside the theater.

Israel’s top seed Ofri Maliach saw off challenges from Ukrainians in the semi-final and final to take the Girls Under 17 competition at the at 2026 Danish Junior Open.

Israeli actress Gal Gadot won the $1 million 2026 Genesis Prize (see previously) matched by another $2 million. All funds will go to 24 charities helping Israelis recover from the trauma of Oct 7, 2023.

The ancient fortress walls of the historic northern Israeli port city of Acre become aglow with a new sound and light show. The 35min music & visual spectacle depicts the city from ancient times through the Roman, Byzantine, Crusader and Ottoman periods up to the modern State of Israel.

British pop singer Engelbert Humperdinck will return to Israel for two concerts at Tel Aviv’s Charles Bronfman Auditorium (Jan. 25 & 26) as part of his global “The Last Waltz - Farewell Tour”. He last performed in Israel in 2015 (see previously).

Israeli karateka Ilai Timan won the Juniors J16 Boys 60-65 kg event at the European Shinkyokushin Karate Championship in Latvia.

. On International Oceans Day, researchers from Israel’s Haifa University spotted two rare sperm whales off the Ashdod’s coast. The team caught sight of the mammals just before having to evacuate to shore, cutting the survey short due to an Iranian missile alert.

Some 50 of Israel's leading floral designers worked day and night for weeks, to create massive displays for the "Journey Between Worlds - FLOWERS" exhibition at Expo Tel Aviv. Three million flowers are arranged into Water World, Galaxy World, Jungle World, Fairytale World, and Amusement World.

Israeli gymnast Artem Dolgopyat won the European floor exercise championship Friday, securing his third continental title and adding another gold medal to a career that includes Olympic and world championships. He previously won European floor exercise titles in 2020 and 2022.

The Sacramento Kings have selected Houston guard Emanuel Sharp with the 45th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Born in Tel Aviv, Sharp holds rare triple citizenship across Israel, the United States, and Canada.