Because the war in Europe was in a lot of Allied countries, for example France. They wanted to focus on the enemies that were at their front door first and posed the most imminent threat over Japan which was on the other side of the globe.
So with so many colonies spread across the Mediterranean Region, it should not be a surprise that the Phoenicians left a legacy along the way. When a civilization takes on the traits of another civilization it is called cultural diffusion. Through trade the Phoenicians not only carried goods on their travels, they also sprinkled their culture all along the Mediterranean Region. Italy: Sidon was known as the center of the glass industry.
