Does an Israeli arbitral award need to be confirmed by an Israeli court before I can enforce it abroad?

No. The New York Convention does not require confirmation in the country of origin before enforcement abroad. You can take your Israeli award directly to the courts of the enforcement country. Obtaining an Israeli court confirmation order can sometimes be a useful supplement if the enforcement court has questions about Israeli law or procedure, but it adds time and cost and many practitioners skip it when the award is straightforward.