Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed his dismay at the European Union’s refusal yesterday to classify Hizbollah as a terrorist organisation.
Mr Netanyahu, who was speaking at a meeting with EU foreign affairs chief Catherine Ashton in Jerusalem today, told reporters: “If Hizbollah isn't a terrorist organisation, I don't know what is a terrorist organisation.”
The motion was brought forward by Britain after Hizbollah allegedly carried out the attack last year on a bus in the Bulgarian city of Burgas which killed five Jewish tourists. However, representatives from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office failed for a second time to achieve a unanimous consensus amongst member nations.
Mr Netanyahu reiterated his “hope” that the EU “will do the right thing”, saying that the group are “butchering people left and right across the world”.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office gave assurances that Britain “continue to work closely with our European partners on this issue”, declaring that they still “firmly believe that an appropriate EU response would be to designate Hizbollah’s military wing as a terrorist organisation.”
The department said they expected another meeting “to take place in [the] coming weeks.”
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