Israel is a country.
Israel ( [ ˈɪzreiəl ] ; ) , officially the State of Israel ( [ mediˈnat jisʁaˈʔel ] دَوْلَة إِسْرَائِيل [ dawlat ʔisraːˈʔiːl ] ) , is a country in the Middle East , on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea . The country benefits from a highly skilled workforce and is among the most educated countries in the world with one of the highest percentage of its citizens holding a tertiary education degree . The country has the highest standard of living in the Middle East and the third highest in Asia , and has one of the highest life expectancies in the world .