Twenty Israeli films ranked by reported worldwide box office, led by The Band's Visit at $15.2M, Waltz with Bashir and Lemon Tree. Sourced to The Numbers.
The Band's Visit is the highest-grossing Israeli film in this ranking, with a reported $15,161,647 worldwide, followed by Waltz with Bashir at $13,912,289 and Lemon Tree at $7,069,672. This page ranks the 20 Israeli-produced films that earned at least $1.1 million in theaters, based on The Numbers' Israel index as of November 4, 2026. The ranking excludes two English-language 1980s action films listed under Israel by the database.
Last updated: November 4, 2026
Which Israeli films earned the most at the worldwide box office?
Twenty Israeli-produced films reached at least $1.1 million in worldwide theatrical gross, and together they earned $74,861,498. Every gross below is the worldwide figure on the film's page at The Numbers, and each film lists Israel among its production countries.
| Rank | Film | Hebrew title | Reported worldwide gross | Production countries | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Band's Visit | ביקור התזמורת | $15,161,647 | Israel | The Numbers: The Band's Visit |
| 2 | Waltz with Bashir | ואלס עם באשיר | $13,912,289 | Israel, Germany, France | The Numbers: Waltz with Bashir |
| 3 | Lemon Tree | עץ לימון | $7,069,672 | Israel | The Numbers: Lemon Tree |
| 4 | Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer | No Hebrew title (English-language) | $6,068,999 | United States, Israel | The Numbers: Norman |
| 5 | Walk on Water | ללכת על המים | $4,443,069 | Israel, Sweden | The Numbers: Walk on Water |
| 6 | Ajami | עג׳מי | $2,721,096 | Israel | The Numbers: Ajami |
| 7 | Fill the Void | למלא את החלל | $2,613,391 | Israel | The Numbers: Fill the Void |
| 8 | The Gatekeepers | שומרי הסף | $2,592,308 | Israel, France, Germany, Belgium | The Numbers: The Gatekeepers |
| 9 | Foxtrot | פוקסטרוט | $2,493,284 | Israel, France, Germany, Switzerland | The Numbers: Foxtrot |
| 10 | O Jerusalem | No Hebrew title (English-language) | $2,195,669 | France, Greece, Israel, Italy, United Kingdom, United States | The Numbers: O Jerusalem |
| 11 | Footnote | הערת שוליים | $2,078,560 | Israel | The Numbers: Footnote |
| 12 | Lebanon | לבנון | $1,964,789 | France, Germany, Israel | The Numbers: Lebanon |
| 13 | Tel Aviv on Fire | תל אביב על האש | $1,809,679 | Belgium, France, Israel, Luxembourg | The Numbers: Tel Aviv on Fire |
| 14 | In Between (Bar Bahar) | בר בחר | $1,663,709 | Israel | The Numbers: Bar Bahar |
| 15 | The Wedding Plan | לעבור את הקיר | $1,547,643 | Israel | The Numbers: 2016 Israel list |
| 16 | The Operative | No Hebrew title (English-language) | $1,431,739 | United States, Israel | The Numbers: The Operative |
| 17 | Ushpizin | אושפיזין | $1,397,999 | Israel | The Numbers: Ushpizin |
| 18 | The Cakemaker | האופה מברלין | $1,274,536 | Germany, Israel | The Numbers: The Cakemaker |
| 19 | The Women's Balcony | עזרת נשים | $1,272,801 | Israel | The Numbers: Women's Balcony |
| 20 | Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem | גט: המשפט של ויויאן אמסלם | $1,148,619 | France, Germany, Israel | The Numbers: Gett |
How concentrated are Israeli film earnings in the top 20?
The Band's Visit and Waltz with Bashir together earned $29,073,936, which is 38.8 percent of the $74,861,498 earned by the 20 films. The top five earned $46,655,676 (62.3 percent), and the top ten earned $59,271,424 (79.2 percent).
Release timing is just as uneven. Eight of the 20 films were first released between 2005 and 2010 in The Numbers' year lists, and they earned $48,866,230, or 65.3 percent of the total. The other 12 films, released from 2012 to 2019, earned $25,995,268.
The Numbers lists no Israeli film released from 2020 to 2025 at or above $1.1 million. The largest yearly Israeli total in that period is $688,093, for 2024 releases.
Which Israeli films depended on North American audiences?
Ten of the 20 films earned most of their gross in North America (the United States and Canada), and ten earned most of theirs in the rest of the world. The three highest earners, The Band's Visit, Waltz with Bashir and Lemon Tree, all earned more than 79 percent outside North America.
| Film | Share of gross from North America |
|---|---|
| Ushpizin | 100.0% |
| Footnote | 96.6% |
| The Women's Balcony | 94.3% |
| The Gatekeepers | 92.9% |
| The Wedding Plan | 91.3% |
| Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem | 86.0% |
| The Cakemaker | 68.6% |
| Fill the Void | 67.9% |
| Norman | 62.9% |
| Walk on Water | 61.1% |
| Tel Aviv on Fire | 27.9% |
| Foxtrot | 24.8% |
| Ajami | 22.9% |
| The Band's Visit | 20.1% |
| Lebanon | 18.7% |
| Waltz with Bashir | 16.4% |
| O Jerusalem | 10.7% |
| Lemon Tree | 8.1% |
| In Between (Bar Bahar) | 6.5% |
| The Operative | 0% (no North American gross reported) |
The Numbers reports that The Gatekeepers earned $2,408,553 of its $2,592,308 in North America, so its total reflects mainly US and Canadian ticket sales. Territory coverage varies by film in The Numbers, so a low North American share can reflect missing reports as well as larger audiences elsewhere.
Olam has built comparisons the same way for other Israeli cultural exports, including Israeli TV formats that went global and a ranked sample of Israeli artworks sold at auction.
What qualifies as an Israeli film in this ranking?
A film counts as Israeli here when The Numbers lists Israel among its production countries, including documented co-productions, and the film is not an English-language studio action picture or a compilation program. A film is not classified as Israeli merely because its director, cast, subject or source material is Israeli.
Two 1980s films are listed under Israel by The Numbers but are not ranked. Death Wish 3 (United States, Israel, United Kingdom) is reported at $16,116,878, and Iron Eagle II (Canada, Israel) at $10,000,000. Both are English-language action films released by US distributors, and The Numbers reports only North American grosses for them. Including them would place Death Wish 3 first and Iron Eagle II fourth.
The Numbers also lists the 2015 Oscar Shorts program, a compilation of short films, at $2,412,493 under 11 production countries including Israel. It is not ranked.
Three well-known films fall outside the definition because Israel is not a listed production country. The Debt (2011), a foreign-language remake, earned $46,604,054 worldwide, and The Numbers lists the United States as its production country. A Late Quartet (2012), directed by Israeli filmmaker Yaron Zilberman, earned $8,038,792 and is also listed as a United States production. The Other Son (2012) earned $5,969,923, and The Numbers lists France as its production country.
What are the methodology and limits of this ranking?
This ranking orders films by worldwide theatrical gross in nominal US dollars, using one source, The Numbers, as of November 4, 2026. Figures can change with re-releases or database updates.
Olam reviewed The Numbers' Israel movie index year by year and found no other eligible film at or above $1.1 million. The index covers films produced by Israeli companies and co-productions, and The Numbers describes its production-country data as incomplete. Older films often carry only a North American figure: The Numbers reports $102,342 for Beaufort and $1,397,999 for Ushpizin, both with no international total.
Sources disagree on some films. Box Office Mojo's Fill the Void page reports $3,197,615 against The Numbers' $2,613,391, and Box Office Mojo's The Band's Visit page reports $14,587,587 against $15,161,647. Using Box Office Mojo's Fill the Void figure would move that film from 7th to 6th. Olam uses The Numbers for all 20 films so the figures are comparable.
Revenue means ticket sales only. It excludes streaming income, home video, profit and inflation adjustment. The Numbers lists The Women's Balcony under the title Ismach Hatani, and The Wedding Plan under Laavor et hakir.
שורה תחתונה בעברית
המחקר מדרג עשרים סרטים ישראליים שהכניסו לפחות 1.1 מיליון דולר ממכירת כרטיסים בבתי קולנוע ברחבי העולם, לפי מאגר The Numbers נכון ל-4 בנובמבר 2026. ״ביקור התזמורת״ מוביל עם 15,161,647 דולר, אחריו ״ואלס עם באשיר״ עם 13,912,289 דולר ו״עץ לימון״ עם 7,069,672 דולר. הדירוג מבוסס על מקור נתונים אחד ואינו כולל הכנסות מסטרימינג, רווחיות או התאמה לאינפלציה. הוא אינו כולל שני סרטי פעולה דוברי אנגלית משנות השמונים שהמאגר מייחס גם לישראל.
Frequently asked questions
Which Israeli film earned the most worldwide?
The Band's Visit has the largest reported worldwide gross in this ranking, at $15,161,647 according to The Numbers.
What is the highest-grossing Israeli film of all time?
The Band's Visit leads this ranking, but Olam does not certify it as an all-time record. The ranking depends on one database whose coverage of Israeli productions and of non-US territories is incomplete.
Why are Death Wish 3 and Iron Eagle II not in the ranking?
Both are English-language 1980s action films released by US distributors, and The Numbers reports only North American grosses for them. They are listed under Israel in the database, so Olam shows their figures separately: $16,116,878 and $10,000,000.
Are streaming receipts included?
No. The figures cover reported theatrical box office only.
Is a Hollywood remake of an Israeli film included?
No. Israel must be a listed production country, and The Debt is excluded because The Numbers lists the United States as its production country.
Why do box office databases disagree?
Territory coverage, currency conversion, re-releases and reporting updates differ between databases. Fill the Void is one example: The Numbers reports $2,613,391 and Box Office Mojo reports $3,197,615.
What are the sources for these figures?
Every gross and production-country listing comes from the film's page at The Numbers, linked in the ranking table above, and the domestic shares are The Numbers' own domestic-share metrics. The Wedding Plan and The Operative figures come from The Numbers' 2016 and 2019 Israel lists and film page, and the Footnote share is calculated from The Numbers' domestic and worldwide totals.
The exclusion examples are documented on The Numbers pages for The Debt, A Late Quartet and The Other Son. The 2015 Oscar Shorts figure comes from The Numbers' 2015 Israel list.
How we report: Olam stories draw on public filings, company disclosures and named sources, checked by our editors. Read our methodology · Corrections
