German neo-Nazi politician meets Hezbollah, supports terror against Israel
"The Lebanese Army and Hezbollah must receive support."
By BENJAMIN WEINTHALLebanon's Hezbollah supporters chant slogans during last day of Ashura, in Beirut, Lebanon September 20, 2018(photo credit: AZIZ TAHER/REUTERS)
A delegation of far-right extremist European politicians, including a German neo-Nazi leader, met recently with Hezbollah’s foreign affairs chief Ammar Al-Moussawi in Beirut to express support for the Lebanese terrorist organization’s fight against the Jewish state.The Hezbollah-controlled television station Al-Manar broadcasted a report on the meeting on March 16, according to the website of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).Udo Voigt, a member of Germany’s neo-Nazi National Democratic Party (NPD) party, told Hezbollah: “We see that you are opposing the American approach, which strives to destroy societies in Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq, as well as in Syria.America’s actions have caused millions to become refugees in Europe, in order to destroy our societies, as well, and I hope that we will remain united against this American model.”The right-wing extremist party, Alliance for Freedom and Peace, organized the delegation to Beirut that included members of the German Bundestag and members of the European Parliament from Britain, Italy, Belgium and Croatia.MEMRI showed clips of Voigt, Italian politician Roberto Fiore, and the Belgian political activist Hervé Van Laetham expressing their support for Hezbollah’s “fight against Israel, terrorism and imperialism. The delegation also visited the memorial garden in Dahieh near Beirut, and placed a wreath on the graves of Hezbollah ‘martyrs.’”According to a Hezbollah reporter, “They said that these sacrifices have brought about victory and have defended Lebanon and the region.”Fiore, who is a self-described fascist, said at the pro-Hezbollah event: “It has been an honor to meet today the representative of Hezbollah, Mr. Ammar Al-Moussawi. We expressed the European support for Hezbollah and the Lebanese government in their efforts towards peace and in the conflict with Israel.“Everyone must know that there are millions of Europeans who completely share your aspirations for peace and are your partners in your struggle with the Zionist trends,” he added.Fiore founded the Third Position (Terza Posizione) movement that rejects communism and capitalism, and leads the Forza Nuova party.
“I would like to express to the Lebanese people the support of the European politicians, who know how much Lebanon needs stability and support,” Van Laethem said. “The Lebanese Army and Hezbollah must receive support in order to face all the enemies – whether terrorists or countries that are constantly hostile to them.” He added “We are resisting imperialism, and we have come to Lebanon to emphasize that many Europeans stand alongside Lebanon and Hezbollah.”The US, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the Arab League, Israel and Canada classify Hezbollah’s entire organization as a terrorist entity.The Jerusalem Post reported in February 2018 that Voigt said, “Where are the sanctions against other states that violate human rights and commit war crimes: the United States of America, Saudi Arabia, Israel? It is time to lift all sanctions against Tehran and give Iran another chance!” Voigt was elected to the European Parliament in 2014.NPD supporters from Voigt’s party have participated in the annual al-Quds Day rally in Berlin that calls for the destruction of the Jewish state and promotes the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel. The al-Quds Day rally was called into a global action campaign in 1979 by the late Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran. German Hezbollah members are strongly represented at the rally in Berlin. In 2009, Jürgen Rieger, a Holocaust denier and then-deputy chairman of the NPD, called on Germans to boycott Israel.The Post reported in 2017 that the German neo-Nazi party The Third Way (Der Dritte Weg) built an alliance with the Assad regime in Syria, as well with the Syrian dictator’s strategic partner Hezbollah in Lebanon.The website of The Third Way published a report on the right-wing extremist group’s visit to Lebanon to champion Hezbollah’s war against Israel. The Third Way is an energetic supporter of BDS. As a result of the Post’s investigative series covering banks and online payment services that provide accounts to BDS organizations, in January the US online service PayPal and the French online payment provider Leetchi closed the accounts of The Third Way.Germany’s deputy foreign minister Niels Annen said Merkel’s administration refuses to outlaw all Hezbollah in Germany. Hezbollah has 950 members in Germany who raise funds, recruit new members, and spread antisemitic and jihadi ideologies within Germany.
