"On what continent is Israel?"



Israel is often mistakenly classifed as part of Europe, likely because of its legacy of European Jewish immigration, its Western orientation and values, and the Arab boycott of Israel which has prevented it from developing cultural ties with the Arab World throught arts, sports, and commerce.



In truth Israel is located in Western Asia, in the region normally referred to as the Middle East. It is on the Mediterranean Sea, lying northeast of Egypt.

Egypt is usually classified as being in Africa, but the Sinai Peninsula that borders Israel is a part of Western Asia. The border between Asia and Africa is usually considered to be Egypt's Suez Canal. It is sometimes said that Israel borders Africa, but geographically speaking, the Sinai Peninsula borders Africa, not Israel.



Israel lies to the south of Lebanon, to the southwest of Syria, and to the West of Jordan. Within the borders of Israel a Palestinian political entity is in the process of emerging, but because this reality is still unfolding and changing, for the purposes of simplicity I often speak of this entity as part of Israel.