SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO AVOID CONCLUDING THAT

THE WORLD IS ARRANGED FOR MY AMUSEMENT.
Analysis: Israel weighing EU membership (Martin Walker, UPI, 5/23/03) (via Best of the Web).

The visiting delegation from the European Union was startled this week when Israel Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom said his government was weighing an application to join the EU.

"It doesn't mean he is preparing the dossier for applying tomorrow," an Israeli spokesman said. "In principle, the minister thinks a possibility exists for Israel to join the EU, since Israel and Europe share similar economies and democratic values." . . .

But if and when Israel does achieve a peace settlement with Syria and Lebanon and the Palestinians (it already has peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan), Israeli membership could make a great deal of sense for Israel and the EU alike.

This could never happen, but if it did -- a hundred years of fun for Americans. Posted by David Cohen at May 23, 2003 8:35 PM