According to the Israel Association of Baseball, Israel has been invited to the 16-team qualifying round for the  2013 World Baseball Classic.

This is the statement:

Israel has been invited to participate in a new 16-team Qualifying Round for the 2013 World Baseball Classic.
The invitation comes from WBCI (World Baseball Classic, Inc.). Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Player’s Association together created the event, first held in 2006. This will be the third Classic, to be played in March, 2013. Japan has won the first two.
The Qualifying Round will take place in the Fall of 2012, and will feature a six-game modified double-elimination format.
“We are pleased to extend an invitation to Israel to participate in the Qualifying Round of the World Baseball Classic, said Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. “The skill level and passion for the game in Israel is remarkable and we know their participation will be a wonderful addition to the tournament.”
“It’s an honor to recognize Israel’s standing among baseball-playing nations with this invitation to compete on a global stage,” said Major League Baseball Player’s Association Executive Director Michael Weiner. “We’re confident Israel’s participation in the World Baseball Classic Qualifying Round will help increase national and worldwide interest in this great sport.”
The World Baseball Classic is the premier international baseball tournament that features the best players in the world competing for their home countries and territories.
The Israel Association of Baseball (IAB), will take charge of the player selection process, which, in accordance with World Baseball Classic rules, permits non-Israeli citizens of Jewish heritage to play for Israel. The balance of the team is expected to be made up of the top players from the Israel National team.

“We are very grateful to MLB and the MLBPA for allowing Israel to participate in prestigious tournament,” said Haim Katz, President of the IAB. “It is a tribute to our efforts and progress in promoting the great game of baseball in Israel. Participation in the World Baseball Classic is particularly exciting to us as it enables us to create a team of not just Israeli citizens but of all those of Jewish heritage. We look at this mission as a partnership between the North American Jewish community and Israel and as a vehicle to strengthen the ties between us.”
The IAB is the local Federation body and over 2,000 youth and adults play baseball today in Israel. The sport has expanded in Israel over the last few years, spearheaded by the professional baseball league that played three years ago, and continuing with the European Championship Qualifiers that will be held from July 26-30 in Israel. “Team Israel’s participation in the World Baseball Classic is a further imprint of the growth and expansion of the sport in Israel and Europe,” added Katz. “We are proud to field a team for this World Baseball Classic and will make every effort to reach the finals.”
WBCI determined the 12 new teams for the Qualifying Round based on criteria established to create the most competitive international baseball event in the world. Some of the key factors involved in team evaluation and selection included: strength of native player base, number of professional players, IBAF international rankings, viability of domestic baseball programs, participant’s impact on baseball development in country/territory and diverse global representation. Included in the Qualifying Round are four of 2009’s 16 teams that failed to win a game.=Automatically qualifying for the 2013 World Baseball Classic are Australia, China, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Puerto Rico, United States and Venezuela.
In addition to Israel, the other teams invited to the Qualifying Round include Brazil, Canada, Chinese Taipei, Columbia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Philippines, South Africa, Spain and Thailand.
The IAB has both adult and youth amateur national teams who compete in international competitions. The adult national team coached by Pat Doyle, current head of the MLB envoy program and former baseball coach at San Joaquin Delta College, competes within the framework of CEB- Confederation of European Baseball and will be participating in the European Qualifying Championship to be hosted in Israel July 26-29. Israel participated in the previous qualifying championship held in 2008 in Croatia and finished in third place. In 2004 at the qualifying tournament in Regensberg Germany, the team finished fifth of nine teams.

Jerry Weinstein, a long-time college coach and minor league manager (currently managing the Colorado Rockies’ Single-A farm club in Modesto, CA., is an advisor.
Players wishing to be considered for the team, should contact Haim Katz at isbaseba@017.net.il. The IAB website is www.baseball.org.il.