Hezbollah terrorist on watch tower
Hezbollah terrorist on watch towerReuters

Jewish community leaders on Friday praised Germany’s designation of both the political and military wings of Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

The Central Council of Jews in Germany said the move was “overdue.”

“Germany is no longer allowed to offer a haven to supporters of an Islamist organization that – driven by a deep hatred of Jews – incites people to violence and finances terror,” said Josef Schuster, the council president, according to JTA.

Schuster also urged Germany to push for a total European Union ban on the group. In 2013, the EU designated Hezbollah’s military wing as a terrorist group, but not its political wing.

David Harris, the CEO of the American Jewish Committee, said that Germany’s move was “welcome, much-anticipated, and significant.”

The Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations applauded Germany’s move in a statement.

“We commend the German Interior Ministry for taking action against the terrorist organization Hezbollah by instituting a ban on all of its activities within Germany's borders,” said Arthur Stark, Chair, William Daroff, CEO, and Malcolm Hoenlein, Vice Chair of the Conference of Presidents.

“An Iranian proxy with the blood of countless innocents on its hands, Hezbollah conducts criminal operations in the Middle East, Europe, Latin America, and elsewhere to finance its terror activities around the world. No quarter should be given to these purveyors of murder and vicious antisemitism, who are unyielding in their quest to destroy the Jewish State,” they added.

“We look forward to seeing the ban's swift implementation and encourage other countries to join Germany in taking this critical step.”

The German Interior Ministry on Thursday morning issued a federal order outlawing Hezbollah in Germany, and also took enforcement measures under the provisions of the order.

The order prohibits any contact with members of the organization and does not differentiate between its various arms - military, political or social. According to the order, any use of the organization's symbols and the organization's assets in Germany, if any, would be banned.

Kan 11 News later reported that Germany received intelligence information from Israel that helped formulate the declaration that Hezbollah will be outlawed.

In March of 2019, the British government designated Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Earlier this year, Britain's finance ministry added the entire Hezbollah organization to its list of terrorist groups subject to asset freezing.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)