Hundreds of fans gather outside to wave at incoming delegations; predictors see Israel picking up between 5 and 7 medals at Summer Games

Ahead of opening ceremony at 2 p.m. (Israel time), head of country's delegation says team is focused and excited, despite heavy restrictions and fears of a super-spreader event

Predictions include first place for Artem Dolgopyat, silver for Lonah Chemtai Salpeter in women's marathon and for Sagi Muki in judo, as well as 4 bronzes

The baseball squad has four native-born Israelis and a diverse group of Jews from around the US with varying backgrounds, but a shared history makes this team closer than most

Israel’s first Olympic surfer, one of the all-time greatest canoe paddlers, and a teen track star para-athlete are just some of the athletes to root for this summer

As the Jewish state qualifies for its 1st Olympic baseball competition since 1976, Jeremy Bleich, a grandson of Holocaust survivors, gets Israeli citizenship to join the squad

Itay Shanny overcomes several higher-ranked opponents in final qualification event in Paris; 'Reaching this point is unreal,' he says

Aslan Karatsev and his partner, Russian Elena Vesnina, lose out to Desirae Krawczyk of the US and Joe Salisbury of Britain for mixed doubles title

Dadaon wins three gold medals and a silver at the meet in Madeira, while teammate Mark Malyar also snags 4 medals, including one gold

Clubs then intermingle to play a second mixed-team round; Rivlin hails new 'bonds of friendship and cooperation' between nations