Israel, US call on EU to declare Hezbollah a terrorist organisation

Israel’s Yesh Atid party leader, Yair Lapid and US Congressman, Ted Deutch have called on the European Union to declare Hezbollah a “terrorist organisation”.

In a joint statement published in Spain’s La Sierra newspaper and Italian Corriere Della Sera newspaper yesterday, the officials described Hezbollah as “the most horrifying terrorist organisation”.

The two called on the European countries to cancel what they called “false distinction” between the political and military arms of Hezbollah, and to declare the whole organisation a terrorist group.

“This distinction is false and has no credibility,” Deutch said, adding that whoever believes that “declaring Hezbollah a terrorist organisation will make it difficult to provide assistance to Lebanon is mistaken”. “Look at Gaza Strip, for example. Hamas is classified as a terrorist organisation, but that did not affect efforts to provide assistance because of the humanitarian situation there,” he said.

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“If we really want to fight Hezbollah terrorism, in all that it means, the whole organisation must be declared a terrorist organisation”.

Lapid has also sent a letter to 27 European ambassadors claiming the distinction between Hezbollah’s arms “provides legitimacy to the organisation to recruit funds and volunteers on European territory”.

The US Congress approved last week a series of laws against Hezbollah aimed at undermining its ability to raise money and reach its financial networks.

The European Union declared Hezbollah’s military wing a terrorist organisation in 2013.