Will EU do Israel’s Bidding on Hezbollah?
By Yahya Dbouk | Al Akhbar | September 11, 2012
Recently renewed Israeli efforts to ensure that Hezbollah is on the European Union (EU)’s list of designated terrorist organizations have not achieved the desired result. They have, however, succeeded in reopening the question, making it a topic of debate and controversy in Europe, and getting some countries, notably the Netherlands and Britain, to take strongly anti-Hezbollah stands. Yet these have not been translated into action.
At a meeting with Italian Foreign Minister Giulio Terzi last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu demanded the EU take action and adopt a clear stand against Hezbollah, which he described as “the world’s leading terrorist organization.” His guest sufficed with expressing an “understanding” of the Israeli demand and made no promises.
This was preceded by a campaign by the Israeli foreign ministry aimed at persuading EU states to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization on the strength of Israel’s accusation that it was involved in the bombing in the Bulgarian town of Burgas in July in which five Israelis and a Bulgarian were killed. Israel’s lobbies and supporters in various European countries continue to be highly active in this regard, with some success. Most notably, the parliamentary foreign policy spokesman of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s CDU party, Philipp Missfelder, publicly endorsed its demands. He said Hezbollah “threatens the security of our alliance partner Israel and is involved in countless terror activities,” and that “it is long overdue that Hezbollah be placed on the EU’s list of terror organizations” and “the EU should not allow any more time to elapse” before doing so.
Bulgaria continues to be put under particularly heavy Israeli pressure to accuse Hezbollah of the Burgas bombing. The ultimate aim of this is to get the Lebanese party indicted in a European court in order to facilitate its designation by the EU as a terrorist group. An indictment, and the possibility of a conviction, would embarrass the influential member-states – including France, Italy, Spain, Germany and others – who have been holding out against such a move out because of their interests in Lebanon and the region.
The Bulgarian authorities also appear to be holding out. They have steered clear of implicating Hezbollah in the bombing, and stressed they do not have enough evidence to accuse anyone of it, thus denying Israel the legal precedent it seeks. The Israeli pressure is unlikely to desist, and its effect will only become apparent once the investigations are complete, which Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladinov has indicated should be within the next two months.
In the meantime, the EU position remains unchanged, and falls short of meeting Israel’s demand, at least for now and the foreseeable future. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius’ statement declaring that his country is not prepared to take such a step reflects a longstanding French policy of avoiding provoking Hezbollah. British Foreign Secretary William Hague has adopted the Dutch extreme anti-Hezbollah position in theory, but in practice this seems to have enabled Britain to appear to strike an aggressive posture against the party without actually changing policy. Britain continues to draw a distinction between Hezbollah’s military and political wings. This was conceived of as a way of pre-empting the US and Israel and preventing them from foisting decisions on the Europeans that would damage their interests in the region. There has thus been no change in Britain’s policy, despite the hawkish turn it has appeared to take against Hezbollah recently.
Israel’s failed efforts have shown that it is not enough for it to demand Hezbollah’s inclusion on the EU terrorism list for the member-states to comply. For the major European capitals, there are interests and facts on the ground to consider before making any move against Hezbollah, including the likely impact on European interests in light of the party’s standing and influence in Lebanon and the region.
If the EU does end up submitting to Israeli pressure, it would signal something else. It could mean that the confrontation has begun. Yet the signs continue to indicate that no such decision has been taken, at least not at this stage.
Yahya Dbouk is Israeli Affairs Columnist at Al-Akhbar
Related articles
- EU turns down Israel call to put Hezbollah on terror list (alethonews.wordpress.com)
- UK Calls to Add Hezbollah’s Resistance to EU’s Terror Watch List (alethonews.wordpress.com)
Share this:
Related
September 12, 2012 - Posted by aletho | False Flag Terrorism, Mainstream Media, Warmongering, Wars for Israel | Britain, European Union, Hezbollah, Israel, Lebanon, List of designated terrorist organizations
1 Comment
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
Featured Video
Ireland 1848
For more videos go to the Aletho News – Video Category
or go to
Aletho News Archives – Video-Images
Book Review
A Brilliant Early Defender of Palestine – Book Review
Colin Andersen, Balfour in the Dock. J.M.N. Jeffries and the Case for the Prosecution
Reviewed by Jeremy Salt | Palestine Chronicle | April 18, 2018
J.M.N (Joseph) Jeffries was an outstanding British journalist whose book Palestine: The Reality (1939) is described by Colin Andersen as ‘a masterwork of history and a scathing indictment of British policy in Palestine from 1914 to 1938.’
George Antonius’ seminal work, The Arab Awakening, had been published only the year before but it is a more general account of British betrayal of the Arabs, whereas the value of the Jeffries book lies in his single-minded focus on Palestine and the force of his arguments. Few copies of the book were printed, and it is now almost impossible to find even in libraries. By Edward Said and many others, however, its value as an early exposure of British perfidy has long since been recognized.
Zionism itself was a wicked idea from the start. … continue
Aletho News Original Content
Three Mile Island, Global Warming and the CIA
By Aletho News | January 9, 2012
This article will examine some of the connections between the US and UK National Security apparatus and the appearance of the anthropogenic global warming (AGW) theory beginning after the accident at Three Mile Island. … continue
~
Also by Aletho News:
March 8, 2011
Investment bankers salivate over North Africa
February 25, 2010
Look out for the nuclear bomb coming with your electric bill
February 7, 2010
The saturated fat scam: What’s the real story?
December 26, 2009
Mining the soil: Biomass, the unsustainable energy source
December 4, 2009
There’s more to climate fraud than just tax hikes
About Aletho News’ Name
Blog Roll
Visits Since December 2009
- 3,226,967 hits
Follow Aletho News on Twitter
My TweetsLooking for something?
Archives
Calendar
Categories
Aletho News Civil Liberties Corruption Deception Economics Environmentalism Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism Fake News False Flag Terrorism Full Spectrum Dominance Illegal Occupation Mainstream Media, Warmongering Militarism Nuclear Power Progressive Hypocrite Russophobia Science and Pseudo-Science Solidarity and Activism Subjugation - Torture Supremacism, Social Darwinism Timeless or most popular Video War Crimes Wars for IsraelTags
9/11 Afghanistan Africa AIPAC al-Qaeda Argentina BBC Benjamin Netanyahu Brazil Canada Central Intelligence Agency China CIA CNN Colombia Da’esh Donald Trump Egypt European Union Facebook FBI France Gaza Germany Google Hamas Hebron Hezbollah Hillary Clinton Honduras Human rights India International Solidarity Movement Iran Iraq Iraq War ISIL ISIS Israel Israeli settlement Japan Jeremy Corbyn Jerusalem John Kerry Latin America Lebanon Libya Middle East Military National Security Agency NATO New York Times North Korea NSA Obama Pakistan Palestine Press TV Qatar Russia Sanctions against Iran Saudi Arabia Syria The Guardian Turkey UK Ukraine United Nations United States USA Venezuela Washington Post West Bank Yemen ZionismLatest Comments
roberthstiver on US Mainstream Media Attacks No… Brian Harry, Austral… on Israeli settlers attack Palest… Brian Harry, Austral… on Who Is Terrance Yeakey? Brian Harry, Austral… on US Mainstream Media Attacks No… aletho on US Mainstream Media Attacks No… Brian Harry, Austral… on US lawmakers urge Pentagon to… traducteur on US Mainstream Media Attacks No… John L on US lawmakers urge Pentagon to… roberthstiver on US lawmakers urge Pentagon to… mob bosses on The Neocons Are Selling Koolai… Linda K. on Top 5 Chemical Weapon Tests Th… Anthony Clifton on Media Support US Violence Agai… roberthstiver on Japan not satisfied with N. Ko… roberthstiver on Palestinian lecturer shot dead… brianconcannonBrian… on Ireland 1848
Aletho News
- Index on Disgrace April 23, 2018
- Dear Salafist Wahhabist Apologists April 23, 2018
- Israeli settlers attack Palestinian families, attempt to take over homes in Hebron April 22, 2018
- Russia-Iran ties soar high under US pressure April 22, 2018
- US lawmakers urge Pentagon to buy Israel’s Iron Dome missile system April 22, 2018
- US Mainstream Media Attacks North Korea for Supporting Palestine in a Disgusting Display of Nuclear Hypocrisy April 22, 2018
- A Brilliant Early Defender of Palestine – Book Review April 22, 2018
- Who Is Terrance Yeakey? April 22, 2018
- Statement of Alexander Shulgin to the OPCW April 22, 2018
- Russia Urges US Military to Scale Back in Korean Peninsula April 22, 2018
- Media Support US Violence Against Syria, but Long for More April 22, 2018
- Another Dodgy British Dossier: the Skripal Case April 22, 2018
- Ireland 1848 April 21, 2018
- “Spring Arriving 26 Days Early”–BBC April 21, 2018
- British govt must explain its behavior in Skripal case, Syria strikes – UKIP MEP April 21, 2018
- Palestinian lecturer shot dead in Malaysia April 21, 2018
- Ontario anti-racism committee members tied to racist JNF April 21, 2018
- Just When You Thought “Russiagate” Couldn’t Get Any Sillier … April 21, 2018
If Americans Knew
OffGuardian
- UN Security Team Still Won’t Let Inspectors Visit Douma April 23, 2018
- Russian Missile Tech has Made America’s Trillion Dollar Navy Obsolete April 22, 2018
- Alexander Shulgin to the OPCW April 22, 2018
- Island Russia April 21, 2018
Gilad Atzmon
- Portman and Corbyn April 22, 2018
- On the False Dichotomy Between 'Jews' and 'Zionism' April 21, 2018
- Syrian Boy in White Helmets FAKE Chemical Attack Video Reveals the Truth April 20, 2018
More Links
Contact:
atheonews (at) gmail.comdisclaimer
This site is provided as a research and reference tool. Although we make every reasonable effort to ensure that the information and data provided at this site are useful, accurate, and current, we cannot guarantee that the information and data provided here will be error-free. By using this site, you assume all responsibility for and risk arising from your use of and reliance upon the contents of this site.
This site and the information available through it do not, and are not intended to constitute legal advice. Should you require legal advice, you should consult your own attorney.
Nothing within this site or linked to by this site constitutes investment advice or medical advice.
Materials accessible from or added to this site by third parties, such as comments posted, are strictly the responsibility of the third party who added such materials or made them accessible and we neither endorse nor undertake to control, monitor, edit or assume responsibility for any such third-party material.
The posting of stories, commentaries, reports, documents and links (embedded or otherwise) on this site does not in any way, shape or form, implied or otherwise, necessarily express or suggest endorsement or support of any of such posted material or parts therein.
The word "alleged" is deemed to occur before the word "fraud." Since the rule of law still applies. To peasants, at least.
Fair Use
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more info go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
DMCA Contact
This is information for anyone that wishes to challenge our “fair use” of copyrighted material.
If you are a legal copyright holder or a designated agent for such and you believe that content residing on or accessible through our website infringes a copyright and falls outside the boundaries of “Fair Use”, please send a notice of infringement by contacting atheonews@gmail.com.
We will respond and take necessary action immediately.
If notice is given of an alleged copyright violation we will act expeditiously to remove or disable access to the material(s) in question.
All 3rd party material posted on this website is copyright the respective owners / authors. Aletho News makes no claim of copyright on such material.
Where is the evidence being offered by Israel for Hezbollah to be branded a terrorist organization. There must be some benchmarks against which an organization/country is painted terrorist. Does Hezbollah kill unarmed civilians daily? Does Hezbollah take away the land of others? Does Hezbollah make it difficult for people to live a life of dignity and enjoy the basic necessities of life, shelter, health, an education, free from fear, etc. What is the criteria that Israel, Britain and the Netherlands have used to desire to brand Hezbollah a terrorist group? Or is this the Boys Scout Club at work.