Hundreds of aircraft flew side-by-side. They refuelled one another. They protected one another. This was not symbolic coordination. It was operational fusion.

Europe pressures Israel on peace, yet consistently defends its security when existential threats emerge, showing solidarity across decades.

European governments have chosen a framework and stuck to it long after the evidence demanded a rethink.

As Trump weighs striking Iran, Europe braces for fallout while Israeli-EU tensions deepen, shaped by history, antisemitism, moral politics and reflexive mistrust that turns criticism into confrontation at a moment of mounting regional risk.

How did liberal democracies – political systems built on protecting minorities, individual rights, and the rule of law – become places where Jews increasingly feel unsafe?

The continuing saga of the Western Wall compromise.

At a time when the government has declared war on the legal establishment and the rule of law, this system must indeed act with resolve – but also with judgment and restraint.

In their eyes, they have full legitimacy to exploit to the fullest whatever can be extracted from their overlord: the Israeli taxpayer.

Once a key player, Europe now risks being viewed as a marginal player in the Middle East.