German Parliament Approves Resolution to Ban Hezbollah
The German parliament passed a resolution on Thursday calling on the government to ban Hezbollah activities in Germany.
The resolution, which is non-binding, passed with a large majority, backed by the Christian Democratic Union, the Christian Social Union, the Social Democratic Party, and the Free Democratic Party. Three parties abstained but no one voted against it.
The resolution called on the German government to “decree an activity ban against Hezbollah in order not to tolerate any activity in Germany by representatives of the organization, which opposes the principle of international understanding.”
Following the resolution’s approval, Israel’s Ambassador to Germany Jeremy Issacharoff wrote on Twitter: “We welcome the significant resolution adopted today by the Bundestag, which relates to Hezbollah for what it is: a terrorist organization with no distinction between its military and ‘political’ wings.”
“Hezbollah is indoctrinated, trained and financed by Iran and poses a threat not only to Israeli civilians but also undermines Lebanese sovereignty and regional stability. As the resolution indicates, it poses a direct threat to German security interests.”
Germany follows the European Union’s policy of relating to Hezbollah’s “military wing” as a terrorist organization but recognizing its “political wing” as legitimate.
The US, Canada, the UK, the Netherlands, and the Arab League have recognized the entire Hezbollah movement as a terrorist organization.
The resolution stated that German operatives of Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed terrorist organization based in Lebanon, have been increasing in recent years, with roughly 1,000 Hezbollah supporters currently living in Germany.
The resolution also mentions Germany’s “special responsibility toward the Jewish and democratic State of Israel” and calls on the German government to “confront actors in the Middle East that question Israel’s right to exist and openly threaten its security.”
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