Citizens from countries that Israel has agreements with (United States, European countries, Japan, etc.) are not required to apply for the visa at the consulate. The visa will be issued upon arrival in Israel at border control.
On the other hand, Citizens from certain countries that Israel has no agreements with (India, China, African countries, etc.) must obtain a tourist visa at the consulate before entering Israel.
In the following document you can find the list of the all countries (under National - Visa): CLICK HERE (there is no English version yet)