British life in Tel Aviv: pints, poppies and finding your people
There's no British residents' club in Tel Aviv and no Royal British Legion branch we could find. But Brits are everywhere: on the rugby pitch, in the business chamber, and in the pub on Hayarkon Street when England are playing.
The short version
- Many British people in Israel came on aliyah, so the community is spread through English-speaking networks rather than one British club.
- Molly Bloom's on Hayarkon Street and Mike's Place on the beachfront show the Premier League, and Molly Bloom's listed the autumn rugby internationals in November 2026 [6][7].
- Maccabi Tel Aviv Rugby Club has men's, women's and youth teams, and there are clubs in Ra'anana and Herzliya too [8].
- Remembrance is marked at the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery in Ramleh, about 20 km (12 miles) from Tel Aviv [3][4].
- We couldn't find a Royal British Legion or Royal Society of St George branch in Israel.
Who's who: British organisations in and around Tel Aviv
| Organisation | What it does | Where |
|---|---|---|
| British Embassy Tel Aviv | Consular help, emergency travel documents, 24-hour emergency line | 192 Hayarkon Street, by appointment only [1] |
| British Council Israel | UK cultural relations, English and education links | Givatayim, next to Tel Aviv; office not open to the public [2] |
| Israel-Britain Chamber of Commerce & Innovation | Trade and business networking; the British Ambassador is its titular president | Tel Aviv [9] |
| UK-Israel Tech Hub | Embassy team building tech partnerships between British and Israeli companies | At the embassy [10] |
| Tabeetha School | Church of Scotland school teaching the English curriculum up to IGCSE, GCSE and A Level | 21 Yefet Street, Jaffa [5] |
The embassy and the British Council
The British Embassy is on Hayarkon Street, a short walk from the seafront. It's open to the public by appointment only, and its emergency number in Israel is +972 (0)3 725 1222, day and night [1]. Sign up for the FCDO's email alerts for Israel too. Our guide to safety in Tel Aviv explains why that matters here more than in most cities.
The British Council has its office in the Hashahar Tower in Givatayim, just across the border from Tel Aviv, though it isn't open to the public [2]. It's the one to follow for UK culture, scholarships and English exams.
Business and networking
The Israel-Britain Chamber of Commerce & Innovation is a non-profit chamber promoting trade and innovation between the two countries, and the British Ambassador is its titular president [9]. If you work in tech, the embassy's UK-Israel Tech Hub, set up in 2011, runs partnerships between British and Israeli companies [10].
A bit of Scotland in Jaffa
Tabeetha School in Jaffa is an English-speaking school run by the Church of Scotland, teaching the English curriculum through to IGCSE, GCSE and A Level [5]. It's a link to home for some British families, and it posted school news in July 2026. Our guide to schools in Tel Aviv covers the options.
Remembrance, the Legion and St George
We couldn't find a Royal British Legion branch in Israel, or a Royal Society of St George branch. If one starts up, we'll add it.
Remembrance is still marked. The Ramleh War Cemetery, run by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, is in Ramla, about 20 km from Tel Aviv, and holds about 3,300 Commonwealth burials from the First World War and more than 1,100 from the Second [4]. It's open from 8.30am to 3pm Monday to Friday, and visits at other times can be arranged through the CWGC's regional office [4].
The British Ambassador has held a Remembrance Sunday ceremony at Ramleh in past years, with veterans' groups laying wreaths [3]. That report is from 2015, so check the embassy's social media in early November for this year's arrangements.
Sport: rugby, cricket and the footie
Rugby: The Israel Rugby Union's club list, updated in September 2026 with registration open for the 2026–27 season, includes [8]:
- Maccabi Tel Aviv: two men's teams, three women's teams, under-12 to under-18 youth sides and the IBEX Tel Aviv men's team, training at Tel Aviv University on Sunday and Wednesday evenings and at the Sportek on Fridays
- Ra'anana Roosters: senior and youth teams at Lev HaPark Stadium in Ra'anana, plus a mixed team for children and young people with special needs
- Herzliya Hurricanes: children's and youth rugby at the Herzliya Sportek
Rugby here has a strong British, South African and Australian streak, so you'll hear plenty of English in the changing room.
Cricket: The Israel Cricket Association has been an Associate Member of the International Cricket Council since 1974, according to the ICC's member page. That page says the domestic league has teams from places like Lod, Ra'anana, Ramle, Tel Aviv and Ashdod, but the description is old, so contact the association for the current fixtures.
Football: Tel Aviv has two big rival clubs, Maccabi and Hapoel, and Israeli Premier League (Ligat Ha'Al) matches are a cheap, loud night out. For the Premier League back home, see below.
Pubs and the big matches
Israel is usually two hours ahead of the UK, so a 3pm Saturday kick-off is 5pm here. The working week runs Sunday to Thursday, so Saturday afternoon football fits nicely into the weekend.
| Pub | Why go | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Molly Bloom's | Premier League, La Liga and international rugby on the screens; listed England v Australia for 8 November 2026 | 100 Hayarkon Street, corner of Mendele [6] |
| Mike's Place | Long-running beachfront sports bar with live music and football most days | 90 Herbert Samuel [7] |
Molly Bloom's warns that some matches depend on satellite reception and that sound is at the management's discretion, so get there early for the big ones [6]. Our guide to British food, shops and pubs in Tel Aviv covers the rest, from fish and chips to finding Marmite.
Bonfire Night, the King's Birthday and Christmas
We couldn't find a public Bonfire Night event in Tel Aviv for 2026. The big bonfires here are on Lag BaOmer in the spring, when the parks fill with smoke and families toasting marshmallows, which feels oddly familiar.
We couldn't find a public listing for a King's Birthday party in 2026 either. The embassy's celebrations tend to be invitation-only, so follow its social media.
Christmas is low-key in Tel Aviv, as it's a normal working week. Jaffa, with its churches and Arab Christian community, is the place for a bit of festive atmosphere, and the pubs will be full for the Boxing Day fixtures.
Politics and practical bits
The main UK parties have overseas branches that cover Israel. Conservatives Abroad has a Tel Aviv representative, and Labour International's Africa, Turkey and the Middle East branch covers members in the region.
- Register as an overseas voter. British citizens abroad can vote in UK general elections however long they've been away. See our guide to votes for life.
- Keep the embassy's emergency number in your phone and sign up for FCDO alerts [1].
- Find your crowd. Ask in our community group for Brits in Israel who's going to the pub for the Six Nations.
- Learn some Hebrew. It makes everything from the council to the rugby club easier. See our guide to ulpan.
Sources
- GOV.UK: British Embassy Tel Aviv (checked 7 November 2026)
- British Council Israel: Contact us
- Jewish News: UK ambassador marks Remembrance Sunday in Israel (9 November 2015)
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission: Ramleh War Cemetery
- Tabeetha School, Jaffa (school news July 2026)
- Molly Bloom's Tel Aviv: sport schedule (5–8 November 2026)
- Mike's Place: Tel Aviv branch
- Israel Rugby Union: Clubs (updated 10 September 2026)
- Israel-Britain Chamber of Commerce & Innovation
- UK-Israel Tech Hub