Israel's accession to the European Union. A viable way to peace?

Interesting idea, I'm not sure if it would work though.

Also, the EU wouldn't really be a European Union anymore, although Turkey's accession (kinda) causes the same problem, considering most of it isn't in Europe.

Is Europe geography, or is it an idea. Of course, the complaint of some Arab and/or Muslim countries in the region is that Israel, and by extension Israelis, aren't Middle Eastern, that they're too European. Then again, so what? It's the best model of nationhood & federated nations that we have.

The EU works for reasons of contiguous boarders and cultural similarities. Israel is too distant and too culturally distinct to fit well into the European Experiment.

Whether anyone will openly admit it, or not, the European Union is a western Christian club. This explains why, for example, 15 years after the fall of communism, states like Lithuania, Poland were ushered into the EU, while Turkey has languished on the sidelines since the 1960's, and probably will continue to do so for the foreseeable future, along with the Balkan states and Ukraine, Moldova, Belarus. "Desirable" states like Czechoslovakia, Hungary were even sacrificed by the West to the Soviet Union way back when to prevent Greece and its sea access from falling under communist influence. If not for that, Greece would likely be in the same position as Romania and Bulgaria right now (in queue to join, but no one really wants them in).

Even if not for the above, anti-Israeli sentiment is so strong in Europe that I would not be surprised if a referendum rejected Israeli accession.

FYI, in the UN as well as WHO, Israel is in the Europe Region.

Israel's membership in WEOG

Prior to May 2000, Israel was the only UN Member State excluded from a UN regional grouping. This state of affairs stemmed primarily from a rejection by Arab states of Israel's membership in the Asian group. As a result, Israel was denied membership in a number of important UN bodies, including the Security Council in violation of the principle of sovereign equality enshrined in the UN Charter. Israel also could not be elected to the vast majority of bodies in the UN system, where voting is based on membership in a regional group. Thus, Israel was unable to serve as the President of the General Assembly, or as a member of any bureau in the GA and its main committees.

As of May 2000, Israel was accepted as a temporary member of the Western European and Other States Group (WEOG) in New York. Its temporary membership in the group was officially extended in May 2004. This development helps to partially rectify an anomaly, which has affected no other nation in the world and marks an important step towards the full integration of Israel into the United Nations system. Israel has agreed to continue to seek membership in its natural grouping in the Asian Group that continues to deny it admission.

While Israel's admission into WEOG signified an important development, it remains excluded from the regional group system outside New York. Though Israel can be elected to a UN body that has seats allocated through WEOG in New York, it is prevented from participating in Western group meetings outside of New York, and from nominating candidates to positions in UN bodies where elections for those bodies are not organized by the New York regional group system. The vast majority of UN bodies, however, even ones that are based outside of New York, hold their elections in New York. Thus, Israel can now serve on essentially any body under the auspices of the General Assembly or the Economics and Social Council (ECOSOC), as a member of the Security Council, as well as on bodies like the Commission on Human Rights that operate primarily outside of New York.

In the recently signed agreement between Israel and the European Union, "the European Neighborly Policy," the EU and Israel have agreed to "cooperate on UN reforms and streamlining by, inter alia, working towards normalization of Israel's status in international organizations...". The ENP was signed in December 2004, and Israel is looking forward to implementing this important component of the agreement in the context of the WEOG group in the UN.

That being the case, I'm not sure that membership in the EU would make more secure.

Yes, this plan is meant to remove the main motivation used by the undemocratic regimes of that region against Israel, namely its very existence. By including Israel in the wider EU context, its sovereignty would vanish and with it the alibi used by Arab states. The latter no longer would have to deal with Israel, but with the EU. This might be the first step towards what Mr. Pannella called an "israelization" of the Middle East, in terms of respect for human, civil and political rights and for the establishment of the rule of law.

You know, it's not a terrible idea. I like the notion of Israel's membership in the EU being conditioned upon withdrawal from occupied territories, and conversely Israel's security being guaranteed by Europe.

But correct me if I'm wrong: isn't anti-EU sentiment in Israel pretty high? And anti-Israeli sentiment pretty high in the EU? I was under the impression that the US was the only nation that was really trusted by Israel.

Aside from that, my primary objection is that this proposal prolongs this sort of refusal to accept that Israel lives in the Middle East and as such is a Middle Eastern nation. It's stupid to pretend otherwise, and despite the strenuous objections of the Ashkenazi elite, Israel is not a European country. Arabs need to stop acting as if Israel is a foreigner that doesn't belong in the Middle East, and Israel needs to stop acting like it's so special that it can tell the rest of its neighborhood to go to hell. Stupid things like putting Israel in the Western Europe group of the UN or having them play in FIFA against European teams, while politically necessary right now, are not the path to a future of shared existence in the Middle East.

If the EU won't let Turkey in because of its human rights abuses then what chance does Israel have?

Then maybe they should lower their standers and allow a Democratic Muslim country like Turkey in.

Well i know for once that Greece would not support the Israelli EU future.

For specific reason we voted against the creation of Israel bsc of our traditional links with the Arabs and that it took us 42 years to recognize Israel as a country.We were the only country in the EU not to recognize Israel untill 1990.
After that we shifted to neutrallity....probably we would either abstain or dully say yes...

"cultural similarities"

Where do you find any similatities between greek and estonian or portugese and finish culture? This is ridiculous. Israel has all the chances and fits all critereas to entry the EU. It's only the question of a good will, both of israeli elite and a left-orientated eurocrats.

Some good reasons for Israel's accession to the EU:
* Peace, Human Rights and ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Israel's accession to the EU will help promote peace and human rights. Israel's main motive in the conflicts and wars is FEAR. If Israel knows that a big and strong alliance like the EU is behind it, it... would help it to take courageous steps that would promote the solution of the conflict, for the best not only of Israelies - but also of Palestinians. Currently Israeli governments are hessitant when it comes to withdrawal from the occupied territories, because they fear that the new borders won't be defensible. But if Israel were a part of a strong alliance, it could withdraw from these territories with no fear.

* Geography and Culture: Israel is not geographically in Europe, but the same goes for other EU member states (like Cyprus). When Cyprus entered the EU, it was explained that despite the fact that Cyprus is not geographically in Europe, it's part of Europ...e culturally and socially. I think the same goes for Israel, which is, like Cyprus, very close geographically to Europe, and culturally it's practically a European country.

* Economy. Israel's accession to the EU would benefit both Israel and the EU, as Israel's economic stats are similar to those of many EU members, and higher than those of some EU member states.

* History. European Jews, who form the majority of Israel's jewish population (which in turn forms the majority of Israel's population), made unique contributions to the European culture (which would not be the same without the jews), and for lamentable his...torical reasons they do not live in Europe anymore. The reason why most of the jews who got to Israel got there in the first place is well known to everybody. If it weren't for the acts of some European countries, most of European jews would still be living in Europe. Accepting Israel as an EU member will make historical justice.