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Germany joined the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and other Latin American countries on Thursday when Lebanese Hezbollah, a terrorist organization, banned all its activities in the country and persecuted its followers.
Germany previously differentiated between Hezbollah’s political arm and the activities of the military wing, which the European Union considers a prohibited terrorist movement.
Last year, German deputies asked the government to extend the ban on the activities of the party’s military wing to include the activities of its political branch, but officials at the time warned that this step was legally difficult, because Hezbollah does not have a official presence in Germany.
German authorities estimate that there are around a thousand Hezbollah members, accused by internal intelligence of collecting donations, recruiting supporters and organizing protests calling for the destruction of Israel.
What does the decision mean?
According to the German Interior Ministry, Hezbollah’s activities will be deemed to violate criminal law and go against the principle of international understanding.
This means banning Hezbollah symbols in meetings, publications or the media, and the possibility of confiscating your assets.
Hezbollah is a major political player in Lebanon and is an ally of Iran and the Syrian regime. It was established in 1982 after the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, with the support of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard.
The German decision comes approximately three months after a similar decision by the UK authorities that decided to classify Lebanese Hezbollah as a terrorist organization under the rules of terrorism and terrorist financing, and froze its assets.
Who is included?
German police carried out morning raids on mosque associations in four cities across the country, which officials believe are close to the Shiite armed group.
During dawn raids, police searched four mosque associations in Dortmund and Munster in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia and in Bremen and Berlin that they believed to be close to the group, as well as the residence of community leaders.
The Interior Ministry said it suspected the associations under investigation were part of Hezbollah due to the financial support and propaganda they provided to the group.
In Britain, there is the possibility of issuing sanctions that can go up to 10 years in prison if they belong to Hezbollah or if they are promoted.
Will the list of stalkers be expanded?
Last July, the United States included prominent Lebanese officials for the first time on the sanctions list against people accused by Washington of supporting terrorist organizations.
The decision was issued by the Treasury Foreign Assets Control Office against two members of the Lebanese Parliament and a security official tasked with coordinating between Hezbollah and the security services in Lebanon.
The sanctions included Amin Shri and Mohamed Hassan Raad, both members of the Lebanese Parliament because they work for Hezbollah, as well as Wafik Safa, the Hezbollah Coordination and Liaison Unit responsible for coordinating with the Lebanese security services.
Hassan Mneimneh, a Lebanese writer and researcher in the United States, says the Berlin decision is consistent with American calculations on how to deal with Hezbollah.
“In the past, there has been a discussion within the United States about the scope and level of pressure that could be brought to bear on Hezbollah, its leaders and its officials,” Mneimneh told Al-Hurra.
He continued: “The debate was over whether to tighten and expand the imposition of sanctions to include those who are in harmony with Iranian interests, including Lebanese officials and ministers affiliated with Hezbollah, or whether this measure may harm Washington’s interests in the Lebanon”.
He points out that “US policy changed after Trump’s arrival in the White House and the appointment of Mike Pompeo as Secretary of State, where Washington currently sees that the relaxation in the imposition of sanctions did not lead to a result, but, for on the contrary, it gives way to those who are in harmony with Iran and its aspirations. “
Mneimneh does not want to anticipate events related to Germany and the rest of the European countries regarding the possibility of expanding sanctions and the inclusion of Lebanese officials loyal to Hezbollah.
“The Europeans have not yet made a decision, but the question here is, are they going to go in the same direction as Washington? And will German thought follow in the footsteps of American thought? We must wait to see that,” says Mneimneh.
