SCHEDULE 14A INFORMATION

                  Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
            the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No.    )

    Filed by the Registrant / /
    Filed by a Party other than the Registrant /X/

    Check the appropriate box:
    / /  Preliminary Proxy Statement
    / /  Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule
         14a-6(e)(2))
    /X/  Definitive Proxy Statement
    / /  Definitive Additional Materials
    / /  Soliciting  Material  Pursuant  to  Section  240.14a-11(c)  or  Section
         240.14a-12

                                  THE FIRST ISRAEL FUND, INC.
- - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                (Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

                                       MICHAEL A. PIGNATARO
- - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    (Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):

/X/  $125 per  Exchange Act  Rules 0-11(c)(1)(ii),  14a-6(i)(1), 14a-6(i)(2)  or
     Item 22(a)(2) of Schedule 14A.
/ /  $500  per  each party  to  the controversy  pursuant  to Exchange  Act Rule
     14a-6(i)(3).
/ /  Fee  computed  on   table  below   per  Exchange   Act  Rules   14a-6(i)(4)
     and 0-11.
     1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
        capital stock, par value $.001 per share
        ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:
        5,012,294.63
        ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed
        pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (Set forth the amount on which the
        filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):
        ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:
        ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     5) Total fee paid:
        ------------------------------------------------------------------------
/ /  Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.
/ /  Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule
     0-11(a)(2)  and identify the  filing for which the  offsetting fee was paid
     previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement  number,
     or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.
     1) Amount Previously Paid:
        ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
        ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     3) Filing Party:
        ------------------------------------------------------------------------
     4) Date Filed:
        ------------------------------------------------------------------------

- - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          THE FIRST ISRAEL FUND, INC.
                              ONE CITICORP CENTER
                              153 EAST 53RD STREET
                                   57TH FLOOR
                            NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10022
                              -------------------

                    NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
                         TO BE HELD ON JANUARY 16, 1996
                               -----------------

TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF
  THE FIRST ISRAEL FUND, INC.

    NOTICE  IS HEREBY GIVEN that the annual meeting of shareholders of The First
Israel Fund, Inc. (the  "Fund") will be  held in the offices  of Willkie Farr  &
Gallagher,  One Citicorp Center, 153 East 53rd Street, 47th Floor, New York, New
York 10022,  on Tuesday,  January 16,  1996 commencing  at 10:00  a.m., for  the
following purposes:

        (1) To elect two (2) directors of the Fund.

        (2) To  ratify the selection of Coopers  & Lybrand L.L.P. as independent
            public accountants of the Fund for the fiscal year ending  September
            30, 1996.

        (3) To  consider and  act upon such  other matters as  may properly come
            before the meeting or any adjournments thereof.

    The close of business on December 1, 1995 has been fixed as the record  date
for the determination of the shareholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at,
the meeting.

    This  notice and related proxy  material are first being  mailed on or about
December 11, 1995.

                                          By order of the Board of Directors,

                                                          [LOGO]
                                                   MICHAEL A. PIGNATARO
                                                        SECRETARY

IF YOU DO NOT EXPECT TO ATTEND THE  MEETING IN PERSON AND WISH YOUR STOCK TO  BE
VOTED,  PLEASE  COMPLETE, SIGN  AND DATE  THE PROXY  CARD AND  RETURN IT  IN THE
ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. NO POSTAGE IS REQUIRED IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES. IT  IS
IMPORTANT  THAT  YOUR PROXY  CARD BE  RETURNED  PROMPTLY IN  ORDER TO  AVOID THE
ADDITIONAL EXPENSE OF FURTHER SOLICITATION.

Dated: December 11, 1995
New York, New York

                          THE FIRST ISRAEL FUND, INC.
                              ONE CITICORP CENTER
                              153 EAST 53RD STREET
                                   57TH FLOOR
                            NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10022
                              -------------------

                            PROXY STATEMENT FOR THE
                         ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS
                              ON JANUARY 16, 1996
                               -----------------

    This  Proxy  Statement is  furnished in  connection  with a  solicitation of
proxies by the Board of Directors (the  "Board") of The First Israel Fund,  Inc.
(the  "Fund") for use  at the Annual Meeting  of Shareholders to  be held at the
offices of Willkie Farr & Gallagher, One Citicorp Center, 153 East 53rd  Street,
47th  Floor, New York, New York 10022 on Tuesday, January 16, 1996 commencing at
10:00 a.m.  and at  any adjournments  thereof (collectively,  the "Meeting").  A
Notice  of  Annual  Meeting  of  Shareholders and  a  proxy  card  (the "Proxy")
accompany this Proxy Statement.  Proxy solicitations will  be made primarily  by
mail,  but solicitations  may also be  made by telephone,  telegraph or personal
interviews conducted by  officers or employees  of the Fund  and BEA  Associates
("BEA"),  the investment adviser to the  Fund, and Bear Stearns Funds Management
Inc., administrator  of  the  Fund  (the "Administrator").  The  Fund  also  has
retained  MacKenzie Partners, Inc. ("MacKenzie") for proxy solicitation services
in accordance with its customary agreement. MacKenzie will solicit Proxies  from
individuals,  brokers, bank nominees and  other institutional holders. All costs
of solicitation, including (a) printing and mailing of this Proxy Statement  and
accompanying  material, (b) the reimbursement of  brokerage firms and others for
their expenses in forwarding solicitation  material to the beneficial owners  of
the  Fund's  shares, (c)  payment of  MacKenzie for  its services  in soliciting
Proxies and (d) supplementary solicitations to submit Proxies, will be borne  by
the  Fund.  See "Additional  Information --  Solicitation Expenses."  This Proxy
Statement is expected  to be  mailed to shareholders  on or  about December  11,
1995.

    The  Fund will furnish without  charge a copy of  its most recent annual and
semi-annual reports upon request to the Fund at One Citicorp Center, 153 E. 53rd
Street, New  York,  New York  10022,  attention: Investor  Relations,  telephone
(1-800-293-1232).  These requests will be honored  within three business days of
receipt.

    If the enclosed Proxy is properly executed and returned in time to be  voted
at  the Meeting, the shares represented thereby will be voted in accordance with
the instructions  marked on  the Proxy.  If no  instructions are  marked on  the
Proxy,  the Proxy will be  voted FOR election of  the nominees for Director, FOR
the ratification of Coopers &  Lybrand L.L.P. as independent public  accountants
and FOR any other matters that may properly come before the Meeting and that are
deemed  appropriate. Any shareholder giving a Proxy  has the right to attend the
Meeting to vote his or her shares  in person (thereby revoking any prior  Proxy)
and also the right to revoke the Proxy at any time by written notice received by
the Fund prior to the time it is voted.

    In the event that a quorum is present at the Meeting but sufficient votes to
approve  any of the proposals are not received, the persons named as proxies may
propose one or more adjournments of  the Meeting to permit further  solicitation
of Proxies. Any such adjournment will require the affirmative vote of a majority
of those shares represented at the Meeting in person or by Proxy. If a quorum is
present, the persons named as

                                       1

proxies  will vote those Proxies that they are entitled to vote FOR any proposal
in favor of  an adjournment and  will vote  those Proxies required  to be  voted
AGAINST  any such  proposal against any  adjournment. A shareholder  vote may be
taken on  one or  more of  the proposals  in the  Proxy Statement  prior to  any
adjournment  if  sufficient  votes  have  been  received  and  it  is  otherwise
appropriate. A quorum of shareholders is  constituted by the presence in  person
or  by proxy of the holders of a  majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund
entitled to vote at the Meeting. For  purposes of determining the presence of  a
quorum   for  transacting  business  at  the  Meeting,  abstentions  and  broker
"non-votes" (that  is, proxies  from brokers  or nominees  indicating that  such
persons  have  not  received instructions  from  the beneficial  owner  or other
persons entitled to vote shares on a particular matter with respect to which the
brokers or nominees do not have  discretionary power) will be treated as  shares
that  are present but which have not been voted. Approval of Proposal 1 requires
the affirmative vote of  a plurality of shares  voted while Proposal 2  requires
the  affirmative vote  of a  majority of the  shares voted.  Abstentions will be
counted as present but not voting with  respect to those proposals from which  a
stockholder  abstains. Broker non-votes will be  counted in favor of Proposals 1
and 2.

    The Fund has one class of shares of capital stock, par value $.001 per share
(the "Shares"). On the  record date, December 1,  1995, there were  5,012,294.63
Shares  issued  and outstanding.  Each  Share is  entitled  to one  vote  at the
Meeting, and fractional Shares are entitled to proportionate shares of one vote.

    In order  that  your Shares  may  be represented  at  the Meeting,  you  are
requested to:

    --indicate your instructions on the Proxy;
    --date and sign the Proxy;
    --mail the Proxy promptly in the enclosed envelope;
    --  allow sufficient time  for the Proxy  to be received  on or before 10:00
      a.m. on January 16, 1996.

                       PROPOSAL 1: ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

    The first proposal to be  submitted at the Meeting  will be the election  of
two  (2) directors of the Fund, Messrs. Jonathan Lubell and Steven Rappaport, to
serve until the 1998 Annual Meeting of the Fund, each to hold office for a  term
not  to  exceed three  years, as  set forth  below, and  until his  successor is
elected and  qualified. In  order to  be  elected pursuant  to Proposal  1,  the
nominees  will need the affirmative vote of a plurality of the votes cast at the
Meeting in person or by proxy.

    The Board is divided into three classes. Each year the term of office of one
class will expire  and the successor  or successors elected  to such class  will
serve for a three-year term. The classes of directors are as indicated below:


                                            
             Class I Directors:                             Class II Directors:
               Zeev Holtzman*                                 Jonathan Lubell
              George W. Landau                               Steven Rappaport
                Daniel Sigg*

                                    Class III Directors:
                                      Emilio Bassini*
                                      Peter A. Gordon


    Each of the nominees currently serves as a director of the Fund and has been
a member of the Board of the Fund since the Fund commenced operations in October
1992. Each nominee has indicated an intention

                                       2

to  continue to serve if elected and has  consented to being named in this Proxy
Statement. Each nominee  who is deemed  an "interested person"  of the Fund,  as
defined  in the Investment Company Act of  1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), is
indicated by an asterisk. Messrs. Bassini and Sigg are interested persons of the
Fund by virtue of their positions as directors and officers of BEA. Mr. Holtzman
is an interested person of  the Fund by virtue of  his position as Chairman  and
Chief Executive Officer of Giza Ltd., a sub-adviser to the Fund.

    The  following table sets  forth certain information  regarding the nominees
for election to the Board of the Fund and the officers and directors of the Fund
as a  group. Except  as noted  to the  contrary, each  of the  nominees and  the
directors  and officers of  the Fund as  a group has  sole voting and investment
power with respect to the Shares shown.  Each nominee for director of the  Fund,
and  the officers  and directors  of the  Fund as  a group,  owns less  than one
percent of the outstanding Shares of the Fund.



                              SHARES                                                                 MEMBERSHIP ON BOARDS
                           BENEFICIALLY                                       LENGTH OF SERVICE AS    OF OTHER REGISTERED
                             OWNED ON      CURRENT PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION AND   DIRECTOR AND TIME OF   INVESTMENT COMPANIES
                           SEPTEMBER 30,    PRINCIPAL EMPLOYMENT DURING THE    MEMBERSHIP ON BOARD     AND PUBLICLY HELD
NAME (AGE)                     1995                 PAST FIVE YEARS                OF THE FUND             COMPANIES
- - ------------------------  ---------------  ---------------------------------  ---------------------  ---------------------
                                                                                         
Emilio Bassini (45)*....         7,400     Member of the Executive            Since inception;       Director   of   seven
 153 E. 53rd Street                        Committee, Chief Financial         current  term ends at  other BEA-advised
 New York, NY 10022                        Officer and Executive Director of  the 1997 annual        investment companies.
                                           BEA (formerly  Basic  Appraisals,  meeting.
                                           Inc.  and  BEA  Associates  Inc.)
                                           (1984-present).

Peter A. Gordon (53)....             0     General Partner of Ethos  Capital  Since  1994;  current  Director of TCS Fund,
 152 W. 57th Street                        Management; Managing Director  of  term ends at the 1997  Director of the Mills
 New York, NY 10019                        Salomon Brothers Inc.              annual meeting.        Corporation; Director
                                           (1982-1992).                                              of five other
                                                                                                     BEA-advised   invest-
                                                                                                     ment companies.

Zeev Holtzman (54)*.....             0     Chairman  and   Chief   Executive  Since  1995;  current
 2 Kaufman Street                          Officer  of  Giza  Ltd.  (Israeli  term ends at the 1998
 Tel Aviv, Israel 61500                    sub-advisor  to the Fund) (Before  annual meeting.
                                           1988 to present).

George W. Landau (75)...             0     Chairman of  the  Latin  American  Since  1995;  current  Director of six other
 2 Grove Isle Drive                        Advisory Board  of the  Coca-Cola  term ends at the 1998  BEA-advised
 #1609                                     Corporation and Senior Advisor of  annual meeting.        investment companies;
 Coconut Grove, FL 33133                   Coca-Cola International                                   Director  of Emigrant
                                           (1988-present); President of  the                         Savings Bank;
                                           Americas  Society and  Council of                         Director of GAM
                                           the Americas (7/85-10/93); United                         Funds, Inc.
                                           States  Ambassador  to  Venezuela
                                           (1982-1985); United States
                                           Ambassador  to  Chile (1977-1982)
                                           and United  States Ambassador  to
                                           Paraguay (1972-1977).

Jonathan W. Lubell                   0     Partner   in  the   law  firm  of  Since inception;       Director of one other
 (65)...................                   Morrison Cohen Singer & Weinstein  current term ends  at  BEA-advised
 750 Lexington Ave.                        from February 1989.                the 1996 annual        investment company.
 New York, NY 10022                                                           meeting.


                                       3



                              SHARES                                                                 MEMBERSHIP ON BOARDS
                           BENEFICIALLY                                       LENGTH OF SERVICE AS    OF OTHER REGISTERED
                             OWNED ON      CURRENT PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION AND   DIRECTOR AND TIME OF   INVESTMENT COMPANIES
                           SEPTEMBER 30,    PRINCIPAL EMPLOYMENT DURING THE    MEMBERSHIP ON BOARD     AND PUBLICLY HELD
NAME (AGE)                     1995                 PAST FIVE YEARS                OF THE FUND             COMPANIES
- - ------------------------  ---------------  ---------------------------------  ---------------------  ---------------------
                                                                                         
Steven N. Rappaport              2,000     Executive   Vice   President   of  Since inception;
 (46)...................                   Loanet, Inc. since 1994.           current term ends  at
 153 E. 53rd Street                        Director, President, North         the 1996 annual
 New York, NY 10022                        American  Operations,  and former  meeting.
                                           Executive Vice President
                                           (1/92-12/93) of Worldwide
                                           Operations  of   Metallurg   Inc.
                                           (metal  alloy company). Director,
                                           Telerate, Inc.  from  1985  until
                                           1991. Partner, in the law firm of
                                           Hartman & Craven until 1987.

Daniel Sigg (39)*.......             0     Member of the Executive Committee  Since  1995;  current  Director   of   eight
 153 E. 53rd Street                        and  Executive  Director  of  BEA  term ends at the 1998  other BEA-advised
 New York, NY 10022                        (1990-present); Head of            annual meeting.        investment companies.
                                           International  Equity  Sales  and
                                           Trading    at    Swiss   American
                                           Securities (1987-1990).

All directors and
 officers
 (10 persons, including
 the foregoing) as a
 group..................        10,475                    --                           --                     --


    During the fiscal year ended September 30, 1995, each director who is not  a
director, officer, partner, co-partner or employee of BEA, the Administrator, or
any  affiliate thereof, was entitled to receive an annual fee of $5,000 and $500
for each meeting of the  Board attended by him  and was reimbursed for  expenses
incurred  in connection with his attendance at the Board meetings. The aggregate
remuneration accrued to directors  by the Fund during  fiscal 1995 was  $26,500,
all of which has already been paid. During the fiscal period ended September 30,
1995,  the Board convened six times. Each director except Messrs. Holtzman, Sigg
and Lubell attended  at least seventy-five  percent of the  aggregate number  of
meetings  of the Board. Each director  except Messrs. Gordon and Lubell attended
at least  seventy-five  percent of  the  aggregate  number of  meetings  of  any
committee  on which  he served.  Messrs. Landau  and Rappaport  have attended at
least seventy-five percent  of the  aggregate number  of meetings  of the  Board
since their election to the Board.

    Messrs.  Rappaport, Gordon,  Landau and  Lubell constitute  the Fund's Audit
Committee, which is composed of directors who are not interested persons of  the
Fund.  The Audit  Committee advises the  full Board with  respect to accounting,
auditing and  financial  matters affecting  the  Fund. The  Board  performs  the
functions  of a nominating committee. There is also a Pricing Committee composed
of Messrs.  Gordon,  Landau and  Bassini  that  reviews prices  of  illiquid  or
restricted  securities.  The  Board  performs  the  functions  of  a  nominating
committee. The Fund does not have a compensation committee.

    Section 16(a) of the  Securities Exchange Act of  1934 and Section 30(f)  of
the  1940 Act require the Fund's  officers and directors, officers and directors
of the  investment adviser,  affiliated persons  of the  investment adviser  and
persons  who beneficially own more than ten percent of the Fund's Shares to file
reports of ownership with  the Securities and  Exchange Commission (the  "SEC"),
the  New York Stock Exchange  and the Fund. Based solely  upon its review of the
copies of  such forms  received  by it  and  written representations  from  such
persons,  the Fund  believes that, during  fiscal 1995,  all filing requirements
applicable to such persons were complied with.

                                       4

    The following table shows certain information about the officers of the Fund
other than Messrs. Bassini  and Sigg, who are  described above. Mr. Bassini  has
been  Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Investment Officer of the Fund,
Mr. Pignataro has been Chief Financial Officer and Secretary of the Fund and Ms.
Manney has  been  Vice  President and  Treasurer  of  the Fund  since  the  Fund
commenced  operations in October, 1992. Mr. Sigg  and Mr. Stamler have each been
Senior  Vice  Presidents  of  the  Fund  since  April,  1993  and  July,   1993,
respectively.  Each officer of the  Fund will hold office  until a successor has
been elected by the  Board. All officers  of the Fund are  employees of and  are
compensated by BEA. The Fund has no bonus, profit sharing, pension or retirement
plans.



                                         SHARES BENEFICIALLY
                                         OWNED ON SEPTEMBER    POSITION WITH     CURRENT PRINCIPAL OCCUPATION AND PRINCIPAL
NAME                            AGE           30, 1995             FUND            EMPLOYMENT DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS
- - --------------------------      ---      -------------------  ---------------  ----------------------------------------------
                                                                   
Paul P. Stamler...........          35                0       Senior Vice      Vice President of BEA (6/93-present); self-em-
 153 E. 53rd Street                                           President        ployed   as  a   certified  public  accountant
 New York, NY 10022                                                            (4/92-5/93); Vice President  of Bear,  Stearns
                                                                               Co. Inc. (6/88-3/92).

Michael A. Pignataro......          36                0       Chief Financial  Assistant Vice President and Chief Administra-
 153 E. 53rd Street                                           Officer and      tive  Officer for Investment  Companies of BEA
 New York, NY 10022                                           Secretary        (formerly Basic Appraisals, Inc. and BEA Asso-
                                                                               ciates, Inc.) (9/89-present).

Rachel D. Manney..........          28               75       Vice President   Assistant Vice  President  and  Administrative
 153 E. 53rd Street                                           and Treasurer    Officer   for  Investment   Companies  of  BEA
 New York, NY 10022                                                            (4/92-present); Senior Associate at Coopers  &
                                                                               Lybrand (certified public accountant)
                                                                               (1989-1992).




                                          COMPENSATION TABLE
- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           (3)
                                        PENSION OR       (4)             (5)
                                        RETIREMENT    ESTIMATED         TOTAL         TOTAL NUMBER OF
                            (2)          BENEFITS       ANNUAL    COMPENSATION FROM   BOARDS OF BEA-
                         AGGREGATE      ACCRUED AS     BENEFITS     FUND AND FUND         ADVISED
         (1)           COMPENSATION    PART OF FUND      UPON      COMPLEX PAID TO      INVESTMENT
NAME OF DIRECTOR         FROM FUND       EXPENSES     RETIREMENT      DIRECTORS      COMPANIES SERVED
- - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                      
Emilio Bassini.......            0         N/A           N/A                  0                  8
Peter Gordon.........    $   7,000         N/A           N/A          $  42,000                  6
Zeev Holtzman........            0         N/A           N/A                  0                  1
George Landau........    $   7,000         N/A           N/A          $  49,000                  7
Jonathan Lubell......    $   5,500         N/A           N/A          $  11,000                  2
Steven Rappaport.....    $   7,000         N/A           N/A          $   7,000                  1
Daniel Sigg..........            0         N/A           N/A                  0                  9


THE  BOARD OF  DIRECTORS, INCLUDING  THE "NON-INTERESTED"  DIRECTORS, RECOMMENDS
THAT THE SHAREHOLDERS VOTE "FOR" THE NOMINEES FOR DIRECTOR.

    PROPOSAL 2: RATIFICATION OR REJECTION OF INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

    The second proposal to be submitted at the Meeting will be the  ratification
or  rejection  of the  selection by  the Board  of Coopers  & Lybrand  L.L.P. as
independent public accountants of  the Fund for the  present fiscal year  ending
September 30, 1996. This proposal will require for approval the affirmative vote
of a

                                       5

majority  of the votes cast at  the Meeting in person or  by proxy. At a meeting
held on November  16, 1995,  the Board, including  those directors  who are  not
"interested  persons" of the  Fund, approved the selection  of Coopers & Lybrand
L.L.P. for the fiscal year ending  September 30, 1996. Coopers & Lybrand  L.L.P.
has  been  the Fund's  independent public  accountant  since the  Fund commenced
operations in October 1992, and  has informed the Fund  that it has no  material
direct or indirect financial interest in the Fund. A representative of Coopers &
Lybrand  L.L.P. will  not be  present at  the Meeting  but will  be available by
telephone  and  will  have   the  opportunity  to  make   a  statement  if   the
representative  so  desires  and will  be  available to  respond  to appropriate
questions.

THE BOARD  OF DIRECTORS,  INCLUDING THE  "NON-INTERESTED" DIRECTORS,  RECOMMENDS
THAT THE SHAREHOLDERS VOTE "FOR" THE RATIFICATION OF COOPERS & LYBRAND L.L.P. AS
INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS.

    PROPOSAL 3: OTHER MATTERS WHICH MAY COME BEFORE THE MEETING; SHAREHOLDER
                                   PROPOSALS

    The  Board  is not  aware of  any other  matters that  will come  before the
Meeting. Should any  other matter properly  come before the  Meeting, it is  the
intention  of the persons named  in the accompanying Proxy  to vote the Proxy in
accordance with their judgment on such matters.

    Notice is hereby given that for a shareholder proposal to be considered  for
inclusion  in the Fund's proxy  material relating to its  1997 annual meeting of
shareholders, the shareholder  proposal must be  received by the  Fund no  later
than October 1, 1996.

SHAREHOLDERS WHO DO NOT EXPECT TO BE PRESENT AT THE MEETING AND WHO WISH TO HAVE
THEIR  SHARES VOTED ARE REQUESTED TO DATE AND SIGN THE ENCLOSED PROXY AND RETURN
IT IN THE  ENCLOSED ENVELOPE. NO  POSTAGE IS  REQUIRED IF MAILED  IN THE  UNITED
STATES.

                             ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

INFORMATION ABOUT BEA AND THE ADMINISTRATOR

    BEA,  the investment adviser to the Fund,  is a New York general partnership
organized in  1990  that  is  registered as  an  investment  adviser  under  the
Investment  Advisers Act of 1940.  The principal executive office  of BEA is One
Citicorp Center, 153 East 53rd Street, 57th Floor, New York, New York 10022. The
principal executive office of Bear Stearns Funds Management Inc.,  administrator
to the Fund, is 245 Park Avenue, 15th Floor, New York, New York 10167.

BENEFICIAL OWNERS

    There  are no persons who  may be deemed beneficial owners  of 5% or more of
the Shares because  they possessed  or shared  voting or  investment power  with
respect to the Shares.

SOLICITATION EXPENSES

    The  Board has retained MacKenzie for proxy solicitation services, for which
it will be paid  a fee of  approximately $3,000 and will  be reimbursed for  its
reasonable  expenses. MacKenzie will solicit  proxies from individuals, brokers,
bank nominees and other institutional holders. MacKenzie's solicitation  efforts
may  be made by  telephone, telegram and  in person. All  costs of solicitation,
including (a)  printing and  mailing of  this Proxy  Statement and  accompanying
material, (b) the reimbursement of brokerage firms and others for their expenses
in  forwarding  solicitation material  to the  beneficial  owners of  the Fund's
Shares, (c)  payment  of  MacKenzie  for  its  services  and  (d)  supplementary
solicitations to submit proxies, will be borne by the Fund.

                                       6

                                                     THE FIRST ISRAEL FUND, INC.

                                        THIS PROXY IS SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE
                                                 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

                                        The  undersigned hereby  appoints Emilio
                                    Bassini and Michael A. Pignataro as Proxies,
                                    each  with   the   power  to   appoint   his
                                       substitute, and hereby authorizes them
                          THE FIRST ISRAEL FUND, INC.
                                    to  represent  and  to  vote,  as designated
                                      below, all shares of the above fund (the
                                     PROXY
                                    "Fund") that the undersigned is entitled  to
                                    vote  at the annual  meeting of shareholders
                                    on January 16, 1996, and at any  adjournment
                                    thereof.
- - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE "FOR" THE NOMINEES IN PROPOSAL 1 AND
                               "FOR" PROPOSAL 2.
- - --------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                                                                                
        PROPOSAL 1--ELECTION OF THE FOLLOWING NOMINEES AS DIRECTOR:            FOR nominees listed       WITHHOLD AUTHORITY
                Class II: JONATHAN LUBELL, STEVEN RAPPAPORT                   (except as marked to    to vote for the nominees
                                                                               the contrary below)
                                                                                       / /                      / /


(Instruction: To withhold authority to vote for an individual, write the
individual's name on the line below.)

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PROPOSAL 2--TO RATIFY THE SELECTION OF COOPERS & LYBRAND L.L.P. AS INDEPENDENT                       FOR      AGAINST    ABSTAIN
PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS OF THE FUND FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING SEPTEMBER 30, 1996:                        / /        / /        / /
PROPOSAL 3--TO CONSIDER AND ACT UPON SUCH OTHER MATTERS AS MAY PROPERLY COME BEFORE THE MEETING
OR ANY ADJOURNMENTS THEREOF.


                  (CONTINUED--SIGNATURE REQUIRED ON NEXT PAGE)

    PLEASE MARK, SIGN, DATE AND RETURN THIS PROXY CARD PROMPTLY USING THE
ENCLOSED ENVELOPE.

This proxy when properly executed will be voted in the manner directed herein by
the undersigned shareholder.

IF NO DIRECTION IS MADE, THIS PROXY WILL BE VOTED FOR THE NOMINEES FOR DIRECTOR
AND FOR PROPOSAL 2.

Please  sign  exactly as  name  appears below.  When  shares are  held  by joint
tenants, both should sign.

                                             When signing as attorney, executor,
                                             administrator, trustee or guardian,
                                             please give full title as such.  If
                                             a  corporation, please sign in full
                                             corporate  name  by  president   or
                                             other   authorized  officer.  If  a
                                             partnership,   please    sign    in
                                             partnership   name   by  authorized
                                             person.
                                             Dated: ____________________________
                                             _________________  ________________
                                             Signature                   Print
                                             Name
                                             _________________  ________________
                                             Signature if held jointly   Print
                                             Name