Hezbollah ban rejected
THE GOVERNMENT has said it will not seek to proscribe terrorist group Hezbollah in its entirety in this country.
Backbench MPs, led by Joan Ryan, chair of Labour Friends of Israel, called for a ban on the political wing of the Lebanese group during a debate in the Commons. The group’s military arm is already proscribed in Britain.
Ben Wallace, Security Minister, said that while Hezbollah’s status would be kept “under review”, but there was no likelihood of a full ban being imposed in the near future.
He blamed police and the Crown Prosecution Service for failing to take action against protesters who have made inflammatory remarks and waved Hezbollah flags during demonstrations in London.
Mr Wallace told MPs: “Not being proscribed does not mean that groups can do lots of things that we would view as illegal. The police already have comprehensive powers to take action against individuals under criminal law, regardless of whether an organisation is proscribed.”
He said MPs on all sides would urge the CPS and police to “set an example” and “not tolerate such horrendous statements and incitements”.
During last Thursday’s fractious twohour debate, Ms Ryan said Hezbollah was a “terrorist organisation driven by an antisemitic ideology that seeks the destruction of Israel”.
She was backed by colleagues from all parties in pointing out that the terrorist group itself does not distinguish between its political and military wings. Labour MP John Spellar described Hezbollah as “one criminal entity”.
Mr Wallace said the government wanted to “maintain a balance” and faced a different challenge with Hezbollah to other terror groups because of its role in Lebanon’s parliament and government.