The EU is strongest when it acts as one in the world. The weakness or reluctance of one member state impacts us all, and especially the people living in the shadow of Hezbollah's destabilizing activities.
Marietje Schaake is a Dutch member of the European Parliament (D66/ALDE Group)
What is the most effective way to persuade people to end violence? This difficult question manifests itself in different ways on the European political agenda.
This week the Ministers of Foreign Affairs met in Brussels, with the EU’s position on Hezbollah up for discussion. This organization is active in Iran, Lebanon and Syria and is widely considered to be causing unrest in those countries.
As it turned out, ministers made no decision on whether Hezbollah’s violent arm should be added to the EU terror list.
This is a missed opportunity illustrative of the lack of consensus on EU’s foreign policy. While this fragmentation threatens to become vulnerability for the EU itself, it first and foremost impacts the people suffering from terrorism and violence.
They should be the reason we seek effective solutions.
At a time when unrest in the Middle East has created a historically fragile moment, the EU must take a more ambitious leadership-role in the world and improve and protect the rights of people globally, especially in its close neighbourhood.
At the very least it must make sure it is not in one way or another complacent about terrorist or criminal activities taking place on its own soil. We should also prevent terrorist groups from organizing themselves within the EU.
Signs of Hezbollah’s activities in Europe are plenty. German magazine Der Spiegel recently reported that drug trading is used to finance the terror groups’ activities.
The Netherlands and the United Kingdom have reacted by putting Hezbollah on their terror list. This means the European assets of the group as well as its affiliates and members can be frozen, and their access to the EU limited. For the British, blacklisting only applies to the military wing of the group, for the Dutch also the political branch is on the terror list.
In practice, distinctions between violent and political activity are not easy to make. It is therefore essential that Hezbollah stops its violent and criminal activities so that its political wing is above suspicion. If individual members are unable to use EU banks for financial transactions, they may jump the fence to the political side.
If it is beyond doubt that the violent activities are not legitimized by the EU indirectly, we give a strong signal that terror activities are not condoned.
Another concern that should prompt the EU to action is related to the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. A Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper recently published a list of people who were alleged to be witnesses.
The chilling effect that this message sends (no matter whether the names are actual witnesses or not) will likely hamper progress in the case.
While a formal listing would send a strong political message, it is no magical solution in and of itself.
Governments of European member states should investigate terrorist financing and activities on its soil. This can be done with or without EU sanctions.
However, the EU is strongest when it acts as one in the world. The weakness or reluctance of one member state impacts us all, and especially the people suffering from Hezbollah’s destabilizing activities.
55 Responses to “Time to put Hezbollah on EU terror list”
Mick
Ah, ‘revisionism’. Left are Left and Truth is Truth and ne’er the twain shall meet. Kipling.
Did I say the Crusades were perfect? But even here, Jews have been historically hostile to Christians themselves and it appears the Crusaders decided they may as well act like Muslims when keeping them at bay.
And the Moors didn’t just materialise with baskets of fruit and easy listening music, as left wing revisionists act like. Spain was brutally raped by Muslim forces, as copious items of evidence prove. Like this one, when you Google THE MOORISH INVASION OF SPAIN AND THE CHRISTIAN RECONQUEST.
‘The Moors were a nomadic people from North Africa; originally they were the inhabitants of Mauretania. They invaded Spain, taking their Islamic religion and culture with them, in 711, where they overran the Visigoths. They spread northward across the Pyrenees into France, but they were turned back by Charles Martel and his Frankish knights in 732.’
The Moors settled into a period of relative peace compared to other Islamic regimes. But there was still brutality and it was still jihad.
________________
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander. Google GUARDIAN NEW GENETICS STUDIES REVEAL SPAIN’S FORCED CONVERSIONS IN 15th AND 16th CENTURIES.
‘The Moors, who at first adopted a policy of religious tolerance when they conquered Spain, later introduced laws that forced Christians and Jews to convert to Islam.’
Newsbot9
That’s right – you keep up the historical revisionism, the slaughter of Jews which lead to the later Crusaders being opposed by Jews. How dare Jews defend themselves!
And of course you’re posting your historical revisionism. What matters is your constant attempts to whitewash the history of the Jews in Spain. Moreover, while there were isolated incidents of forced conversion, there was nothing to equate to the Inquisition.
Mick
Newsbot’s own revisionism is the one showing.
This discussion was about the Muslims and what they did. Jews had their own agenda and opposition to Christians since Jesus and that’s a topic for another day. As is the Inquisistion and other injustices being the will of kings and popes rather than Jesus.
We took in all manner of Islamofacts and Newsbot hated knowing every one.
Newsbot9
That’s right, you can’t have any discussion about Christian crimes, because it proves you’re wrong, as usual. And of course you believe all Jews are just as evil as you paint Muslims to be. Keep making excuses for the inquisition.
And you’re claiming your far right have taken Islamofaciststs in now? Okay…not surprised!
Mick
Newsbot – he creates his own history and then complains that the Press concoct non-stories!
People committed many crimes in the name of Jesus. I’ve no ego riding on that. But when talking about Muslims, the crucial difference is that Muhammad advocated all their crimes in the Hadith.
Jesus ordered NO crimes, yet the Roman Church started the trend of committing them anyway. And the Jews are neither here nor there and it would insult them to compare them to Muslims.