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”
Newsbot9
Ah yes, another trying to pass off your own views as mine.
And wow, you think it’s fine to kill Jews just because Jesus wasn’t the one who recorded the orders. The body count, in reality, is massively higher for Christians than Muslims. Yes, counting the last 60 years.
Keep on trying to whip up lynch mobs against people who’ve never raised a hand against another. How Christian of you!
Mick
Never raised a hand? The poor likkle Muslims?
Google POLITICAL ISLAM TEARS OF JIHAD KILLED BY RELIGION EFFECTS OF JIHAD for a table of Islamic death tolls. 9 million Christians butchered in Jihad, or 80 million Hindus during the jihad against India, shows up Newsbot’s lying quite well.
And we can also take as a lie Newsbot’s claim that Christians murdered more Jews than Muslims. Especially as Jesus was King of the Jews and that Newsbot provides no evidence.
Newsbot9
Yes, that’s right, you keep trying to blame every Muslim for the actions of some, as – by your “logic” you hug your buddy Hitler.
And yes, I’m sure you think it’s far too few. Oh hey, what were those “Crusade” thingies, liar?
No, you can’t take it as a lie, given your constant lying. It’s yet another attempt to justify genocide, of course. And of course you’re in denial over Christian crimes!
Mick
Islamism is a product of Islam, which in turn corrupts its followers. If I was a neo-Nazi then I would have to bear the burden of the Six Million. So Muslims must also answer for the filth of their own faith and the States they led to.
Statistically, virtually every British Muslim household has an extremist in it. And 40% of them favour Sharia Law, which can incorporate honour crimes and the apportion of second-class status to non-Muslims.
Google YOUGOV ONE IN FOUR MUSLIMS SYMPATHISES WITH MOTIVES OF TERRORISTS.
And the Crusades? It was a bid to put the Muslims back where they came from after jihads stole Jerusalem, forcibly put the Moors in Spain and almost took Islamic death squads as far as Paris.
Also Google HISTORY OF ISLAMIC CONQUEST JIHAD IN EUROPE (700-TODAY).
Newsbot9
Six Million? No, that’s an underestimate these days, do keep up.
And yes, by your logic you DO bear the burden, and it seems proudly.
Keep up the revisionism about the Crusades, offensive wars where a lot of Jews were slaughtered.
“forcibly put the Moors in Spain”
What rot. Iberia was overtaken by waves of Germanic invaders as the Roman Empire crumbled. It was stable under the Moors for seven hundred years, and the Sephardi Jewish community flourished. The Christians who invaded Iberia oppressed and eventually unleashed the Inquisition on the Jews, first in Spain then in Portugal, where over 10% of the population was once Jewish.
It wasn’t until 1968 that the edict of banishment from Spain, the Alhambra Decree, was rescinded.
Your historical revisionism is notable.