Claim: Israel is a country.
Evidence: Israel -LRB- -LSB- ˈɪzreiəl -RSB- ; -RRB- , officially the State of Israel -LRB- -LSB- mediˈnat jisʁaˈʔel -RSB- دَوْلَة إِسْرَائِيل -LSB- dawlat ʔisraːˈʔiːl -RSB- -RRB- , is a country in the Middle East , on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.