Labour Party memo advises 'no' vote on Hezbollah as terror group
“Full proscription could be a move against dialogue and meaningful peace negotiations in the Middle East,” it was written in the briefing.
By JPOST.COM STAFFUpdated: JANUARY 25, 2018 14:12The Union Flag flies near the Houses of Parliament in London, Britain, June 7, 2017.(photo credit: REUTERS)
Britain's Labour Party sent an internal briefing urging its members of Parliament to vote against a proposed ban of Hezbollah, The Jewish Chronicle revealed on Thursday.The briefing, of which the Chronicle did not attribute an author, instructs MPs that “there is a balance between making absolutely clear our abhorrence of using violence to achieve political ends and at the same time encouraging organizations down an effective democratic path.”The British House of Commons is slated to debate a ban of Hezbollah today, citing the group's terrorist activities.MP Joan Ryan, the head of a pro-Israel group within the Labour Party, worked to obtain the cross-party parliamentary debate on the terrorist proscription of Hezbollah. The Labour Party’s leader Jeremy Corbyn has previously called Hamas and Hezbollah his “friends.”The US, the Arab League, the Netherlands, Israel and Canada have designated all of Hezbollah a terrorist organization, and the White House urged all countries to outlaw all of Hezbollah last week. The British government currently only classifies the organization's military wing as a terrorist entity.The briefing claims banning Hezbollah in its entirety could harm future peace negotiations in the Middle East.“Full proscription could be a move against dialogue and meaningful peace negotiations in the Middle East,” it was written in the briefing.
