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EU bans Hizbollah’s military arm

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Hizbollah’s military wing has been designated as a terrorist organisation by the European Union.

In a vote today, EU members unanimously approved the motion after Britain brought it before the body for a third time.

Foreign Secretary William Hague said that by taking this decision, “the EU has sent a clear message that it stands united against terrorism.”

The European Jewish Congress President Moshe Kantor expressed his satisfaction with the outcome, stating that “This decision sends a message that Europe will no longer be a welcome territory for this murderous terrorist organisation.”

However, Dr Kantor tempered this optimism with a restatement of his belief that “Hizbollah is one organization with one hierarchy and one set of goals,” which he hopes the EU will come to acknowledge.

The Board of Deputies also spoke of their hope that the EU will now “take the next logical step and proscribe Hizbollah’s political wing as well.”

Jewish Leadership Council Chief Executive Jeremy Newmark opined that “David Cameron and William Hague must be congratulated for … leading the EU [in] delivering this long-overdue designation as part of the fight against terror.”

Mr Newmark joined other Jewish bodies in stating that the political arm of Hizbollah should be similarly classified as a terrorist group, alleging that it “plays an equally dangerous role in the Middle East and beyond.”

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