There are 2 different kinds of real estate in Israel: real estate registered on private land and real-estate units located at state-owned property administered by the Israel Lands Administration ("Minhal"). Title to Minhal property does not pass to the purchaser. Instead, the buyer gets a long-term lease to the property which is usually for 49 years with an option for an additional 49 years.

Private real estate in Israel, as in the U.S., is owned by the buyer with title vesting in him. Land must be registered in the land registry (Tabo) under the name of the buyer.
More ten 80% of the land in Israel is Minhal land, so the buyer should not be deterred from buying it. However, private land is often considered as preferable. As each type of land involves a bit different purchase process, so one of the first things to check is if  the property  is private or Minhal.