Israel is a Middle Eastern country sitting right on the border of Europe and Asia. Its GDP per capita and UN World Happiness Index both rank in the top 20 globally, and its Human Development Index is the highest in the Middle East, very close to Japan in ranking. Due to religious and territorial issues, Israel has long shared an adversarial relationship with neighboring Arabic countries, leading to many Middle East wars including a violent conflict with a Palestinian militant group in the Gaza Strip in 2021. Diplomatically close to the U.S. and considered an important country to counteract Iran, it is one of the most educated countries in the world.