Israel welcomes Austrian parliament’s call for action against Hezbollah
Israel welcomed the Austrian Parliament’s decision calling for measures to be taken against the Hezbollah terror organization.
The flag of the Hezbollah terrorist group, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described as “Iran’s chief terrorist proxy” in his speech to Congress Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
The decision, which was unanimously adopted by Parliament on Friday, calls on the Austrian Government to act against the terror organization’s activists and its supporters.
Furthermore, it also calls on the European Union (EU) to change its policy that differentiates between Hezbollah’s military and political wings.
The resolution calls for “appropriate and effective measures to act decisively against the terrorist and criminal activities of Hezbollah and its supporters in Austria.”
The Members of Parliament who submitted the resolution underscored Austria’s responsibility toward the State of Israel, asserting that “the right of Israel to exist may not be called into question.”
The resolution urges the Austrian government to work to prevent Hezbollah’s financing through money laundering activities.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi lauded the resolution as “an important decision against Hezbollah” and expressed hope that the Austrian Government will adopt their Parliament’s decision and will join the UK, Germany and the Netherlands who have recognized Hezbollah in its entirety as a terror organization.
Earlier this month, then Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz called on the United Nations’ Security Council (UNSC) to ban the Hezbollah terror organization, days after Germany made the move.
Israel, the Netherlands, the US, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Colombia, Honduras, Argentina, Paraguay, the United Kingdom, and Germany have all banned Hezbollah.
Some other countries, including the European Union, have banned Hezbollah military wing, but not its political wing, which is very powerful in Lebanon.
