Why Does Israel Compete In European Competitions?

Despite not being located in Europe, Israel is a member of UEFA and competes in its tournaments such as the Euro’s and the Nations League, along with Israeli clubs who take part in the Champions League, Europa League and Europa conference League.

And this is because, since the country’s establishment in 1948, they have had conflicts with their neighbouring countries in the Middle East, and have therefore been isolated from their sporting competitions.

So Israel looked for affiliation elsewhere, and thanks to their geographical proximity to Europe along with their historical and cultural ties to various European countries, they became a part of UEFA in 1991, and have taken part in their competitions ever since.