Czech parliament voted a resolution to classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organization

The Czech parliament has voted a resolution to classify Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

The resolution, which was passed by an overwhelming majority, 63-7, also calls on the European Union to end its artificial division of the Lebanese-based group into a military and political wing.

The EU lists only Hezbollah’s military group as a terrorist organisation but not its political wing. Until now, despite the fact that several member states have decided to ban Hezbollah in its entirety – such as Germany, the Netherlands, the UK (when it was still in the EU), Estonia and Autria- the EU still keeps with the distinction between the political and military branches of the shiite organization.

The Czech resolution said Hezbollah is “an indivisible whole and terrorist organisation that significantly destabilizes the Middle East region and, through its global network, also threatens all democracies”.

The text “rejects the misleading division of this organisation into military and political parts, as this organisation acts as an internally interlinked structure”.

Members of the European Parliament, national parliaments and the US Congress and Senate have all urged the EU to stop distinguishing between the two factions.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi hailed the Czech move and urged other countries in the European Union to follow suit.

Source: EJ Press