Germany outlaws Hezbollah, raids mosques and local leaders’ homes
German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer ordered that
Hezbollah’s activities be banned due to violations of criminal law, he
announced on Thursday.
Police in North Rhine-Westphalia, Bremen and Berlin began
searches in mosques and residences tied to Hezbollah “due to their financial
support and propaganda for the terrorist organization,” after the ban was
announced at 6 a.m.
Israel and the United States have long pushed for Germany to
ban the Shiite terrorist group. Germany previously drew a distinction between
Hezbollah's political arm and its military units, which fought alongside
President Bashar al-Assad's army in Syria.
Hezbollah symbols may not be used publicly in any assembly,
print, audio or visual material in Germany, and its assets will be confiscated
“to the benefit of the Federal Republic of Germany,” the Interior Ministry’s
press release read.
The ban is because the Hezbollah is a terrorist group, and
also because it “calls for the violent elimination of the State of Israel and
questions the right of the State of Israel to exist.
“The organization is therefore fundamentally against the
concept of international understanding, regardless of whether it presents
itself as a political, social or military structure,” the German Interior
Ministry said.
“Its violent denial of the right to exist of the state of
Israel also fundamentally opposes Germany’s national ethos,” another Interior
Ministry document states.
The order allows German authorities to “use all available
instruments of the rule of law to crack down” on Hezbollah and its German
sub-organization, the statement reads.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz praised the decision, saying it
is “very important and values-based.”
Banning Hezbollah is “significant in the world battle
against terror,” Katz added. “I want to express my appreciation to the German
government for this step and am certain many governments in the Middle East and
victims of Hezbollah’s terrorism share my gratitude.”
Katz called on additional European states and the EU to
follow Germany’s lead and say that “Hezbollah, its military and political arms,
is a terrorist organization and must be treated that way.”
“This is a welcome, much-anticipated, and significant German
decision,” said American Jewish Committee head David Harris. "We now hope
other European nations will take a close look at Germany’s decision and reach
the same conclusion about the true nature of Hezbollah.”
Yesh Atid-Telem leader Yair Lapid, who has long advocated
for European countries to ban Hezbollah, praised Germany on twitter.
"This is an important step in the fight against terror,
and the time has come for all of Europe to follow Germany, the Netherlands and
the UK," Lapid wrote. "The money Hezbollah raises abroad turns into
weapons against Israel. This requires an international effort and it is good
that Germany is committed to it."
Security officials believe up to 1,050 people in Germany are
associated with Hezbollah.
The German Interior Ministry explained that there is no
"Hezbollah Germany," but its followers in Germany meet at local mosques
and try to keep their association secret to avoid detection by the authorities.
However, supporters - especially the younger ones - declare themselves as such
on social media and online forums, using the terrorist group's symbols.
In addition, Hezbollah has used Germany as a base for
recruitment and fundraising.
German Interior Ministry documents quote Hezbollah leader
Hassan Nasrallah and others at length in demonstrating the Shiite terrorist
group's aim of destroying Israel.
The ban includes images of Hezbollah symbols that may not be
displayed,. First is its yellow flag with a green logo and a stylized text of
the word "Hezbollah" with a hand grasping a gun. Another is the Imam
al-Mahdi Scouts, the Hezbollah youth movement, which looks similar to the international
scouts' fleur-de-lis logo, but with a hand and a Lebanese cedar on it.
On a trip to Berlin last year, U.S. Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo said he hoped Germany would follow Britain in banning Hezbollah. Britain
introduced legislation in February of last year that classified Hezbollah as a
terrorist organization.
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