Slovenia declares Hezbollah a terrorist organization
The EU, of which Slovenia is a member, bans only the “military wing” of Hezbollah, allowing its “political wing” to operate in Europe.
By LAHAV HARKOVHezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah addresses his supporters during a public appearance at a religious procession(photo credit: AZIZ TAHER/REUTERS)
Slovenia became the sixth EU member state to outlaw Hezbollah in its entirety on Monday.Ljubljana declared Hezbollah a “criminal and terrorist organization that represents a threat to peace and security,” Slovenia’s government news agency STA reported. “The work of Hezbollah is intertwined with organized crime and terrorist or paramilitary activity at the global level.”The government of Slovenia made the decision to designate Hezbollah a terrorist organization after its working group on such restrictions submitted a report on the Lebanese Shia group’s activities.The EU, of which Slovenia is a member, bans only the “military wing” of Hezbollah, allowing its “political wing” to operate in Europe, though the terrorist group does not divide itself into separate wings. Nine countries have moved to fully ban Hezbollah in the past six months, including Estonia, Latvia and Guatemala in recent weeks.Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi welcomed Slovenia’s decision, saying “Hezbollah is a terrorist organization that first and foremost harms the citizens of Lebanon itself and holds them hostage in the service of Iranian interests.”The Foreign Ministry has been leading a major push to have countries ban Hezbollah, increasing international pressure on the terrorist organization and cutting off its conduits for funding.Ashkenazi called on more countries and the EU to outlaw Hezbollah in its entirety.American Jewish Committee CEO David Harris said Ljubljana’s decision reflects “a growing trend to shed any illusions and confront the stark reality that Hezbollah is one indivisible organization, and that organization is terrorist through and through.”“Permitting Hezbollah’s ‘political’ wing to operate on European soil has allowed for recruitment, fundraising, and the poisonous spread of antisemitism, not to mention sending a European message of hesitation and indecisiveness,” Harris added.
