Sixteen athletes had competed in Beijing, including windsurfer and bronze medalist Shahar Tzuberi, who was the nation's flag bearer at the opening ceremony.

Six athletes made their third Olympic appearance: tennis men's doubles team Jonathan Erlich and Andy Ram, synchronized swimming pair Anastasia Gloushkov and Inna Yoffe, and sailors Gideon Kliger, world bronze medalist in the men's 470 class, and Vered Buskila in the women's 470 class.

According to Zvi Warshaviak, the head of the Israel Olympic Committee, approximately eight athletes were considered medal contenders in sailing, gymnastics, judo, and shooting;[1] however, none of them reached their expectations in the results, and Israel failed to win a single medal for the first time since 1988.

[2] Windsurfer Lee Korzits, backstroke swimmer Yakov-Yan Toumarkin, floor gymnast Alexander Shatilov, and rhythmic gymnast Neta Rivkin qualified successfully for the final rounds of their respective sports, but missed out of the medal standings.

The BBC eventually listed Jerusalem as the capital after mass complaints from the Prime Ministers Office.