To answer you question we should first define what Europe is. According to Wikipedia, Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting the Black and Aegean Seas. So, according to this definition Europe is not actually a continent because its not really divided from Asia by sea. And the "borders" of Europe and Asia are just "a convention" - not a strict geographical fact. Israel according to the borders mentioned above is in Western Asia (so is Cyprus by the way), while small parts of Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Turkey and Russia are in "geographical" Europe.
Approximately half of Israel's Jewish population is European or of European descent. The rest are Jews whose ancestors came from the Middle East and North Africa. A lot of the ones of Middle Eastern and North African descent are actually speak also European languages such as French, Italian and Ladino and were connected to Europe in many ways even before immigrating to Israel. Many maintained French, Italian, Spanish, British or other European passports. Therefore, although Israel not "geographically" fit into the traditional geographical definition of Europe, Israel (and Israelis) sees itself culturally, politically and economically part thereof. Tel Aviv, Haifa, Ramat Gan or Jerusalem are way more culturally European than cities of some of the countries that are considered part of Europe geographically. The closest countries to Israel's western borders are the EU countries (particularly Cyprus).
Israel considered part of Europe in all International sports events and assciations including FIFA, FIBA and the Olympic games. Its is a member of the European divisions of international sport associations (such as UEFA). Just recently Israel hosted the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, the 2014 European Weightlifting Championships and the European Fencing Cadet and Junior Championships 2014. It will host the European Short Course Swimming Championships in 2015 among other European sports events in the following years.
According to Wikipedia, Israel has been represented frequently at the Eurovision Song Contest, the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) being a member of the European Broadcasting Union which is responsible for the event. Israel participated for the first time in 1973. Israel has participated a total of 36 times, winning the contest on three occasions: in 1978, 1979, and 1998. As a result, Israel has hosted the contest twice, in 1979 and 1999 (in 1980 the IBA declined to host the contest for a second successive year). Israel has never finished last in the contest.
Israel is also a neighboring and associated state of the European Union. The relations between the two are framed in the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP), the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, and the Union for the Mediterranean.
Israel is a member of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).
In the UN, Israel is a member of the Western European and Others Group.
It is also a member of Horizon 2020 (The EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation) and of many other EU programs.
According to Wikipedia, various Israeli ministers have expressed that they would like to see Israel in the EU. Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who visited Israel in February 2010, said that his "greatest desire" was to see Israel join the European Union. The European Union's former High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy, Javier Solana, stated in 2009 that Israel had a very significant relationship with the EU, amounting almost to full cooperation through participation in the EU's programs. Moreover, like most western European countries, Israel is a member of the OECD and from an economic perspective matches the European Union extremely well, with essentially every significant economic indicator (GDP per capita, government deficit, public debt level, current account surplus, inflation level, etc.) closely matching the overall EU average (If Israel will eventually join the EU it wont be the first country who located geographically in Western Asia. Cyprus is an EU full member and it is considered to be in Western Asia as well).
To sum things up, although Israel considered geographically in Western Asia, it is a European nation culturally, politically and economically. The fact that Europe is a continent by convention even make it easier to considered Israel part of it, because what really makes European country a European country is the common culture, politics, common background and shared values. Israel proximity to "geographical" Europe also add to the fact that Israel is more like an "extension" of Europe rather than a West Asian country. Moreover, all other geographically Western Asian countries (other than the Arab ones), such as Armenia, Georgia, Russia, Turkey and Azerbaijan are all participating in sport events, in cultural events such as the Eurovision song contest and other European events and programs.
Apr 20 2014, 2:52 AM
