U.S., Israel Hail German Move Banning Iran-Backed Hizballah
Germany has banned Iran-backed Lebanese militant group
Hizballah's activities on its soil and designated it a terrorist organization,
a move welcomed by Tehran's rivals the United States and Israel.
"Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has banned the
Shi'ite terrorist organization Hizballah in Germany," Interior Ministry
spokesman Steve Alter tweeted on April 30.
The announcement came after German police conducted early
morning raids in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Bremen, and the
capital, Berlin, to detain suspected members of the group.
Hizballah has already been designated a terrorist
organization by the United States and Israel.
U.S. Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell welcomed the move
and urged other EU countries to follow suit.
The German ban "reflects the resolve of the West to
confront the global threat posed by [Hizballah]," Grenell said in a
statement, adding that the group "cannot be allowed to use Europe as a
safe haven to support terrorism in Syria and across the Middle East."
Grenell's statement was echoed by Iran's archfoe Israel,
which also called on other European countries to follow Berlin's example.
"It is a very important decision and a valuable and
significant step in the global fight against terrorism," Foreign Minister
Israel Katz said.
Germany had previously distinguished between Hizballah's
political arm and its military units, which have fought alongside President
Bashar al-Assad's army in Syria.
The group is also a significant backer of Lebanese Prime
Minister Hassan Diab's government which took office in January.
As many as 1,050 people in Germany are part of Hizballah's
extremist wing, security officials estimate.
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