stevenlmeyer, your comment "Europe could become a continent of relatively small inward-looking countries more concerned with their own problems than with the outside world" really rang true for me.

I considered myself generally well versed in the world's geopolitical situation, but over the past 4 years I have become distracted by the sort of social, economic, and political disaster issues that I was witnessing overseas when overnight they arrived on my doorstep, sorry stevenlmeyer I have no time for others, but I can't wait until we get insular lke the Europeans.

steven, the UN will be getting $1 Bn a year from Ozzie tax payers under our CO2 tax. I hope the spend it wisely. Maybe it will be worth the money if they stay out of our region?

stevenlmeyer, no problem;

To answer your question- I really don't think it would at all, actually;
The EU exists solely as an interactive medium between member states- those outside are only affected by the performance of the Euro and therefore ability to trade with it, and otherwise a few passport issues handled at EU level passport standards, import standards, etc;
The countries inside are very much the same political entities to those outside.
Or to put it another way- the EU is nothing more than a club that Israel isn't a part of- as it is not a political force, its impact on Israel is zero.

On the issue of the EU itself- it is clear that just like any other large entity, it starts realizing its limitations in the member's desired function of this union (more integrated, more political, vs sovereign states with a Schengen agreement)- and of course differences of standards. Not to mention how far its members want to expand (considering now that the only direction left to expand is the Middle East- nobody is interested anymore- even majority-secular countries like Albania, Bosnia and Turkey would only stand a slim chance- and any further is simply not going to happen).
So the EU, to continue existing, would simply scale back its function to a Schengen zone with some mutual benefits for all members- which is exactly what it should be.

Shouldn't the question be, How good is Israel for the world ?

LOL Individual

Following my usual policy I am NOT going to debate the merits and demerits of Israel.

However your post does open up an interesting line of thought. We can pose the question:

How good is [insert a pet aversion] for the world?

I’ll leave it to your imagination what my pet aversions are.

King Hazza

Perhaps the EU will return to its roots of simply being a common market with no political pretensions. That might be a good idea.

Right now it appears to me that, the Leftie punditocracy notwithstanding, most Europeans are more concerned about the perceived threat from Islam than about Israel. I am astounded by the continued rise of the Sweden Democrats in the opinion polls. See:

http://www.thelocal.se/34410/20110617/

It would be fair to call the Sweden Democrats the “Geert Wilders on steroids” party.

I am also intrigued by the about turn of the Archbishop of Canterbury. At the accession of Rowan Williams I thought we were going to see the most anti-Israel Anglican primate ever. He seemed ready to lead what I can only call an anti-Israel crusade.

Then he got diverted by the issue of homosexuality and gay priests.

Now he has been compelled by the evangelical wing of the church to focus some attention on Muslim persecution of Christians. See:

http://www.radioaustralianews.net.au/stories/201106/3244124.htm?desktop

>>Dr Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury - and head of the country's Protestant Anglican branch - claims more Christians have been killed and churches burned in Egypt than is generally known.

He also said life is unsustainable for Christians in northern Iraq, and tensions in Syria are nearing breaking point as some in the region use the chaos to attack Christian minorities.

Dr Williams said the violent extremism in northern Iraq amounts to ethnic cleansing.>>

It would be naïve to fail to recognise that European concerns about Islam blunt anti-Israel sentiment.

No, Stevenlmeyer. A fractured Europe is bad for Israel.

Israel at this time needs a strong and united Europe that will help it to come back to its senses, that will give it a clear message and guidance: "this is acceptable, this is not".