Born in Leninakan, Armenian SSR (now Gyumri, Armenia), a city famous for its world class weightlifters,[1] Militosyan took up weightlifting in 1980 under the guidance of cousin Vardan Militosyan and joined the Soviet national team in 1987.

Despite the defeat, Militosyan set a new Olympic record in the snatch at 155 kg.

Militosyan set the world record in the snatch for a third time in 1994 at the 1994 European Weightlifting Championships in Sokolov.

Israel is a cousin and student of fellow Soviet-Armenian Olympic weightlifting medalist Vardan Militosyan.

Vardan was the first Soviet-Armenian to win an Olympic medal in weightlifting, and Israel was the last.