Israel does not exist on Planet Earth according to the World Bank.

Ynet noticed that Israel doesn’t appear on the World Bank map of the Middle East. You’ve got you’re West Bank and Gaza, but THERE”S NOTHING IN BETWEEN!

The World Bank site must have done a swift disappearing map act (judging by the pages of the other regions, the map should be on the right of "select a country"). But they don’t list Israel in their list of countries, either. Israel is not on the page listing all countries nor on the Middle East and North Africa page. The West Bank and Gaza are a country, though. Scroll down, they’re under “W”. You’ll pass “I” on the way. No Israel. The West Bank and Gaza have a nice informative page.

Is the World Bank trying to avoid problems? Maybe we’re on the Europe page? What’s good for soccer and basketball…Nope, not there either. I notice Europe still has it’s map.

Oh, here we are. To find Israel you have to go to the home page and conduct a special search from there. But where is this strange country Israel? Maybe on Mars? On the moon?

By the way, Ynet was alerted to the non-existence of Israel by the Israeli Institute of Oil and Energy, who apparently received their Israel-less copy of the World Bank's report about the Ecology for 2002. I wonder how they got it? Maybe the World Bank sent it to "The piece of land just North East of Gaza and just West of the West Bank".

Update: Jen comments that if “we come around to the Service Entrance, we appear in the list of the 184 member countries.” Well, waddaya know? She’s right! There we are, right between Ireland and Italy. Just like a normal country. I’m so happy. Not only on a real live LIST, but a member, too. I don’t think I can take the excitement. Now who will find us on a map (maybe tucked safely away in “Terms & Conditions” or “Privacy Policy” (“It’s for your own good”))?