Various data sets related to precipitation in Israel have been analysed to see whether any statistical relationships exist between the El Ni¿o phenomenon and weather in Israel. An understanding of patterns of precipitation in Israel is extremely important given the limited water resources in the Middle East. The authors have analysed seasonal rainfall, streamflow, snowfall and lake level data, and all of these data sets indicate enhanced precipitation during the winter seasons associated with El Ni¿o years. One intriguing finding is that the statistically significant correlations appear only in the last 25 years. ¿ 1998 American Geophysical Union