German Parliament Snubs Bill To Consider Hezbollah ‘Terrorist’

By Staff, Agencies

The German Parliament rejected on Thursday a bill by the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party to ban Hezbollah’s all wings and consider it a ‘terrorist’ group.

Germany and the EU differentiate between Hezbollah’s political and military wings.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union Party, the Christian Social Union, the Social Democratic Party, the Left, the Greens and Free Democrats opposed the anti-Hezbollah bill authored by the AfD.

Last Saturday, Merkel’s administration declined to stop the annual al-Quds Day march, with the participation of Hezbollah members, in downtown Berlin.

While deputies rejected the bill on Thursday, a 192-page report authored by German intelligence agents revealed that the number of Hezbollah members and supporters has risen from 950 in 2017 to 1,050 in 2018.

Washington constantly pressures Berlin to outlaw Hezbollah in Germany.

During his visit to Berlin last week, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Merkel that he wishes Germany would “follow Britain’s example” and outlaw the Lebanese resistance movement.