Shona Murray: European leaders lack backbone when dealing with Israel

Failing to put pressure on Israel following their continued assault on Gaza set the stage for the country's attack on Iran

Germany's chancellor Friedrich Merz, right, claimed that Israel was 'doing the dirty work for all of us' when they struck Iranian nuclear facilities, essentially backing their current conflict. Picture: Omar Havana/AP

A month into the US/Israeli war in Iran, European governments are no longer ambivalent about the US/Israeli dismantling of international law, including the destruction of basic norms such as systematic bombing of hospitals, widespread expulsion of civilian population, and mass casualties.

Assessing the unpopularity among voters across the continent for the war itself, leaders are also bracing themselves for the economic shock on the cards as the Strait of Hormuz remains inaccessible.