Daily Alert

Will Europe Define Hizbullah as a Terrorist Organization?

Share this

Table of Contents

This is not the first time Europe has waffled when it comes to defining terrorism. Since the days of Maximilian Robespierre, the word Terreur has evoked horror and aversion and sparked philosophical and political debates. The organizations and militias that fought against British or French colonialism were usually defined as “freedom fighters striving for self-determination.” At one point, the debate centered on how to define the Algerian FLN and the Palestinian PLO; it then moved on to separatist groups such as the Basque ETA or the Irish IRA. Today the debate focuses more on Hamas and Hizbullah, with the Europeans making a distinction between a “political wing” and a “military wing.”

Hizbullah was established in 1982, immediately after the First Lebanon War. More than 5,000 operatives of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps settled in the area of Baalbek, Lebanon, under the maxim “to fight until Allah’s final victory.” Their ideology was clear: the Islamic Revolution must rule the entire Middle East; it must overthrow the Arab monarchies and drive the Zionists out of all of Palestine including Jerusalem.

To achieve its goals, Hizbullah employed terror and threats against Western, Israeli, and Jewish targets. Since 1983, the Shiite organization has carried out dozens of attacks and suicide missions throughout the world.

Among the most notable were: a suicide attack on April 8, 1983, when a car exploded just outside the U.S. embassy in Beirut; 61were killed and 120 wounded. On October 23, 1983, two cars exploded at a base for French and American soldiers in Beirut; 239 U.S. marines and 74 French paratroopers were killed and numerous others wounded. On March 17, 1992, in an explosion at the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires, 29 were killed and over 200 wounded. Two years later, again in the Argentine capital, another explosion at the Jewish community center killed 85 and wounded over a hundred. The assassination of Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri, and finally also the murderous attack on a busload of Israeli tourists in Burgas, Bulgaria, also came from the Hizbullah production line.

In recent years Hizbullah has planned other attacks as well, but thanks to the vigilance of the intelligence community, the attempts failed.

That is only a partial list. Yet the European countries, including France, still refuse to define Hizbullah as a terrorist organization. How can this be reconciled with common sense and the facts on the ground? All the legal or political issues that the Europeans have raised are just excuses. For over three decades Hizbullah has been operating as a terrorist organization in the full sense of the term; yet Europe is silent. The United States, Canada, Australia, and Israel, for their part, state the truth unequivocally. The Netherlands acts independently and takes the same position, thereby distinguishing itself from the other 26 EU countries; Britain only defines the “military wing” of Hizbullah as a terrorist body.

In February 2005, in the wake of the Hariri assassination, the European Parliament passed a resolution declaring that “clear evidence exists of terrorist activities on the part of Hizbullah.” Yet, even after the Burgas attack, France rejected an Israeli request and refused to vote in the European Parliament on a resolution defining Hizbullah as a terrorist organization.

The European Union, then, remains divided on an issue so serious and existential, and what is absurd is that meanwhile France is fighting terrorist organizations in Mali very far from its own soil. How is it that Europe still prevaricates and cannot call the phenomenon – which goes by the clear-cut name of “Lebanese Shiite Hizbullah” and is funded and supported by Iran – a terrorist organization? Why need there be a distinction between the political wing and the military wing? Is it not the same organization, with the same military headquarters? How can Europe ignore the chaos in Syria, where thousands of Iranian militiamen are propping up the Assad regime and may draw near to Israel’s borders? Has Europe’s passive stance succeeded to decrease the attacks by the Shiite terrorists? Has the European Union prevented the taking of hostages? Has it put a brake on the Islamic revolutions emerging from the “Arab Spring”? Has it been able to preserve the independence and sovereignty of Lebanon? Have the UNIFIL forces in southern Lebanon fulfilled their role – as they allow weapons and missiles to be smuggled under their noses into the Shiite villages?

Europe must rise from its slumber, change course, and take a courageous and sober decision free of worn-out ideological tenets. It must prohibit Hizbullah and impose sanctions on it, freeze its assets in European banks, and prevent any funding of terror. If Europe continues to dawdle, it will become a center of international terror, of blind and murderous religious terror under the command and control of the “Party of Allah.”

Amb. Freddy Eytan

Amb. Freddy Eytan, a former Foreign Ministry senior advisor who served in Israel’s embassies in Paris and Brussels, was Israel’s first Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. He was also the spokesman of the Israeli delegation in the peace process with the Palestinians. Since 2007, he heads the Israel-Europe Project at the Jerusalem Center, which focuses on analyzing Israeli relations with the countries of Europe and seeks to develop ties and avenues of bilateral cooperation. He is also the director of Le Cape, the Jerusalem Center website in French. Amb. Eytan has written 25 books about the Israeli-Arab conflict and the policy of France in the Middle East, including <i>La Poudriere (The Powder Keg)</i> and <i>Le double jeu (the Double Game)</i>. He has also published biographies of Shimon Peres, Ariel Sharon, Benjamin Netanyahu, and a book, <i>The 18 Who Built Israel</i>.
Share this

Subscribe to Daily Alert

The Daily Alert – Israel news digest appears every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

Related Items

Stay Informed, Always

Get the latest news, insights, and updates directly in your inbox—be the first to know!

Subscribe to Jerusalem Issue Briefs
The Daily Alert – Israel news digest appears every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.







Notifications

The Jerusalem Center
What makes a child believe killing a #Jew is justified?

In PA textbooks, Jews are called liars and frauds; their fate: elimination. This is #indoctrination—not #education. But change is happening. On East to West, @IMPACT_SE CEO Marcus Sheff exposes how #UNRWA-funded schools are fueling extremism—and what real reform looks like.  Listen now on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/2JHqh973U  Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/8OkJTGNfVUc

11:43am
The Jerusalem Center
Highlights from the @Jerusalem_Post Annual Conference in NYC:

Dr. @Dan_Diker, President of the JCFA: “October 7 wasn’t just an attack on Israel — it was a blow to the U.S. on Israeli soil. It demands moral clarity and a united front between Israel and the U.S. to defeat jihadist terror.”

2:20pm
The Jerusalem Center
@XAVIAERD says it like it is

Well, @XAVIAERD says it like it is: If you’re part of “#Queers for #Palestine,” he’ll pay for your flight to #Gaza. Go see for yourself how they treat LGBTQ+ people over there. Don’t miss this bold take on the Israel-Hamas war and the woke right.

2:32pm
The Jerusalem Center
“This isn’t Israel vs. Hamas — it’s the frontline of the free world.”

“This isn’t Israel vs. Hamas — it’s the frontline of the free world.” On Our Middle East by @JNS_org, @Dan_Diker@KhaledAbuToameh (JCFA/@GatestoneInst) break it down: If Hamas isn’t crushed, Iran wins. The jihadis—from #Gaza to your campus—get the green light. Diker: “This war is for the West.” No fluff. No filters. Just raw insight from two insiders who actually know what’s going on.  Watch: youtu.be/4Aq_zcbb4Yo

2:15pm
The Jerusalem Center
5/5 Lt. Col. Kalo on East to West with @smartinezamir:

“This operation showcases Israel’s strategic intelligence superiority both regionally and globally. It demonstrates the moral commitment to recovered soldiers and also strengthens Israel’s position with allies.” youtube.com/watch?v=nIvNNi

2:07pm
The Jerusalem Center
4/5 The operation built on intelligence gathered during the 2019 #Baumel recovery

#Mossad agents operated under cover in #Syria for years, visiting a graveyard multiple times under fire to collect remains for DNA matching. The intelligence community’s evolution combines technology, big data analysis, and human intelligence capabilities.

2:02pm
The Jerusalem Center
3/5 This recovery coincided with the release of Israeli hostage Edan Alexander

This recovery coincided with the release of Israeli hostage Edan Alexander from #Hamas in #Gaza, significantly boosting national morale amid an ongoing conflict now stretching over 18 months. The dual successes demonstrate #Israel‘s unwavering commitment to bringing all soldiers home.

1:58pm
The Jerusalem Center
2/5 The operation used the power vacuum following #Assad’s fall from #Damascus

Lt. Col. Avi Kalo, former head of IDF Prisoners & Missing Persons Division, calls it “an outstanding event that brings hope and new spirit to the people of Israel.” The operation utilized the power vacuum following #Assad‘s fall from #Damascus, allowing #Israeli intelligence to deploy ground capabilities in #Syria.

1:56pm
The Jerusalem Center
1/5 Israeli forces recovered the remains of Sergeant First Class Zvi Feldman

In an unprecedented operation, Israeli forces have recovered the remains of Sergeant First Class Zvi #Feldman, missing since the 1982 Battle of Sultan Yacoub. The complex #Mossad mission was conducted deep within #Syrian territory, 43 years after his disappearance. This follows the successful 2019 recovery of Zachary #Baumel from the same battle.

1:54pm
The Jerusalem Center
A molotov attack on a bus = a “barbecue party”?

That’s what #Palestinian kids are being taught under @UNRWA  — from grade school to graduation. This isn’t education. It’s indoctrination. Marcus Sheff of @IMPACT_SE  breaks it down with @smartinezamir

12:51pm

Close