‘A parliamentary report published in 2013 noted that since its creation in 1948, Israel has granted official refugee status only to 200 people.’ (Washington Post)

And that is, of course, the point ­ Israel is NOT a European country.

It is a state in the Middle East composed primarily of ideological migrants from the U.S. plus a few million former Russian political dissidents and refugees from various other Middle Eastern states.

It is not in Europe, nor in the EU nor in NATO; is not subject to any EU law but It does seek to influence the foreign policy of the United States congress by means of a powerful, moneyed lobby in Washington.

It is the annual recipient of billions of dollars of military equipment each year including F16 strike aircraft, helicopter gunships, missile bombers, cluster bombs, chemical weapons and electronic surveillance equipment.

It is, itself, a major arms exporter to various repressive regimes, worldwide, of military equipment, guns and surveillance equipment.

It is the perpetrator of an illegal seven year blockade of essential goods into Gaza.

It holds 5000 political prisoners in detention without trial.

It conceals a secret nuclear arsenal estimated to hold up to 400 nuclear warheads.

It operates a covert fleet of five nuclear­armed submarines assumed to be patrolling the Mediterranean Sea, unseen, that is a potential threat to Europe.

The government of Binyamin Netanyahu has encouraged, by means of tax and monetary inducements, over 500,000 of its citizens to leave their homes in Israel to illegally settle on occupied Palestinian land.

It is an expansionist state that has waged war against all its neighbours and has killed many thousands of them, indiscriminately, over the past six decades, including hundreds of unarmed women and children.

It is a frightening fact that an undeclared, nuclear­ armed Israel, outside the inspection of the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency, is a threat to the region and to global peace.

Far from being armed to the teeth by America its nuclear arsenal should be completely disarmed under pressure from the European Union, failing which, all bilateral trade should be discontinued.

“Israel must not get involved in what is happening in Syria. We are not a European country. We are too close.” (quoted by NY Times. Sept 6th. 2015)