The House of Lords has adopted an amendment to anti-terrorist legislation passed in 2000. The effect of the amendment: every part of Hezbollah without exception will be deemed a terrorist organization. This text will enter into force on 1 March 2019 at midnight.

Hezbollah is a Lebanese network that is resisting Israeli invasion. Previously it was armed by Syria but since 2005 it has been armed by Iran.

Today Hezbollah holds a third of the seats in the Lebanese Parliament and three ministers in Lebanese government.
An Israeli campaign aims at assimilating Hezbollah to a terrorist organization by attributing to it various attacks in Lebanon (such as the assassination of the former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri) as well as abroad: Ankara (1992) Buenos Aires (1992 and 1994), Istanbul (2011) and Bourgas (2012). Hezbollah categorically denies all responsibility for these attacks.

On the basis of the Israeli campaign, several countries, including the United States, consider the Hezbollah a terrorist organization. Cutting the pear in two, the European Union established a distinction between the armed and the civil branches of the movement. It classified the armed branch as a terrorist organization whereas it maintains relations with the civil branch. In its preparation to leave the EU, this move can be seen as the United Kingdom letting go of the EU’s hand and adopting the position of Washington.

The motion of the House of Lords was drawn up by the new Home Secretary, the anti-Islam and pro-Israeli Sajid Javid (photo). His hope is to take control of the Conservative Party and to become Prime Minister.

Refusing to draw any conclusions from the fact that 70 MPs of Hezbollah have been democratically elected, the US ambassador to Beirut, Elizabeth Richard, denounced Hezbollah’s presence to the government two weeks ago. She was part of the US State Department’s opposition to Prime Minister, Saad Hariri.

Translation
Anoosha Boralessa