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<a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://www.palestinechronicle.com/not-our-war-europe-resists-as-netanyahu-urges-world-leaders-to-join-war-on-iran/">palestinechronicle.com</a>
<div class="gmail-domain-border"></div><h1 class="gmail-reader-title">\u2018Not Our War\u2019: Europe Resists as Netanyahu Urges World Leaders to Join War on Iran</h1>March 23, 2026</div>
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<img src="https://www.palestinechronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Netanyahu_europe_iran_PC.png" alt="" title="Netanyahu_europe_iran_PC" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img" width="408" height="274" style="margin-right: 25px;">
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu publicly called on world leaders to join the US-Israeli
military aggression against Iran. (Photos: video grab, wikimedia.
Design: Palestine Chronicle)
<p><strong>By <a href="https://www.palestinechronicle.com/writers/palestine-chronicle-staff" title="Display all articles for Palestine Chronicle Staff">Palestine Chronicle Staff</a></strong> </p>
<blockquote>
<h3><span>Washington and Tel Aviv intensify pressure on European allies,
but resistance grows as leaders reject involvement in an open-ended
war.</span></h3>
</blockquote>
<h2><b>Key Takeaways</b></h2>
<ul><li><span>European leaders are refusing military participation, repeatedly stating the war \u201cis not our war\u201d and lacks clear objectives.</span></li><li><span>US and Israeli officials are escalating rhetoric, warning of global threats and urging allies to join operations.</span></li><li><span>Strategic divergence is widening, with Europe pursuing de-escalation and independent maritime plans outside US command.</span></li></ul>
<h4><b>US and Israel Escalate Pressure</b></h4>
<p><span>Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly called on
world leaders to join the US-Israeli military aggression against Iran,
framing Tehran as a global threat.</span></p>
<p><span>\u201cIf you want proof that Iran endangers the entire world, the
last 48 hours have proved it,\u201d Netanyahu claimed on Sunday, pointing to
missile strikes in the city of Arad, in the Naqab (Negev desert).</span></p>
<p><span>Just one day earlier, on Saturday, Israeli military leadership had amplified the sense of urgency and scale.</span></p>
<p><span>Israeli army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir declared that
Israel is \u201cabout halfway through\u201d its campaign. Zamir sought to
internationalize the threat, warning that Iran\u2019s missile capabilities
extend beyond Israel.</span></p>
<p><span>\u201cTheir range reaches the capitals of Europe \u2014 Berlin, Paris,
and Rome are all within direct threat range,\u201d he said, referencing a
reported Iranian missile launch toward the US-UK base at Diego Garcia.</span></p>
<p><span>The claim followed a report by the Wall Street Journal on
Friday that two intermediate-range ballistic missiles had been fired
toward the base, though neither struck it.</span></p>
<p><span>Diego Garcia is one of two bases the United Kingdom has
authorized the United States to use in its ongoing campaign against
Iran.</span></p>
<p><span>The reported incident drew particular attention because the
base is located roughly 4,000 kilometers (2,485 miles) from Iran\u2014double
the 2,000-kilometer range limit that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi
previously said Tehran had voluntarily imposed on its missile
operations.</span></p>
<p><span>A senior Iranian official, however, told Al-Jazeera on Sunday
that Tehran was neither responsible for nor involved in any missile
attack on the base.</span></p>
<p><span>Parallel pressure on Europe has come from Washington. US
President Donald Trump has urged allies to join efforts to secure the
Strait of Hormuz, warning of consequences for transatlantic relations.</span></p>
<p><span>According to the US-based news outlet </span><a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-donald-trump-strait-of-hormuz-war-iran/"><span>Politico</span></a><span>, last week, Trump cautioned it would be \u201cvery bad for the future of NATO\u201d if European countries failed to respond.</span></p>
<h4><b>\u2018This is Not Our War\u2019</b></h4>
<p><span>Despite mounting pressure, European leaders have responded with unusual clarity and consistency in rejecting involvement.</span></p>
<p><span>German Chancellor Friedrich Merz openly questioned the rationale behind the war. </span></p>
<p><span>\u201cTo this day, there is no convincing plan for how this
operation could succeed,\u201d he told lawmakers on Wednesday, adding that
\u201cWashington has not consulted us and did not say European assistance was
necessary,\u201d as reported by Reuters news agency.</span></p>
<p><span>Germany\u2019s Defense Minister Boris Pistorius was even more direct
on Monday, March 10: \u201cThis is not our war, we have not started it.\u201d</span></p>
<p><span>Similar positions have been echoed across Europe. French
President Emmanuel Macron stated on March 13, \u201cWe are not party to the
conflict,\u201d while EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas emphasized on March
17 that \u201cEurope has no interest in an open-ended war.\u201d</span></p>
<p><span>According to Politico, Kallas reiterated that \u201cthis is not
Europe\u2019s war,\u201d even if she said that \u201cEurope\u2019s interests are directly at
stake.\u201d</span></p>
<p><span>European governments have also rejected specific US requests, particularly regarding the Strait of Hormuz.</span></p>
<p><span>After internal discussions in Brussels on March 17, EU foreign
ministers declined to expand the mandate of the Aspides naval mission to
include military patrols in the strait. Kallas confirmed that \u201cthere
was no appetite from the member states\u201d to take such a step.</span></p>
<p><span>The reluctance is not only political but also rooted in public
opinion. For example, polling published in mid-March and cited by
Reuters shows majorities in countries like Spain and Germany opposing
the war, reinforcing governments\u2019 decisions to stay out of direct
military engagement.</span></p>
<p><em>(PC, Israeli media, Reuters, Politico)</em></p>
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