France Not to Follow Britain’s Lead in Blacklisting Hezbollah
He stressed that Paris will continue to “distinguish between Hezbollah’s military and political wings because this allows Lebanon to maintain its policy of disassociation, which will steer it clear from regional conflicts.”
“France and no other power has the right to decide what Lebanese political parties are good and which are not. This is up to the Lebanese people,” he told a joint press conference in Paris with Iraqi President Barham Salih.
Paris’ decision stems from its decades-long commitment to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). It also believes that dialogue with Hezbollah could lead the party to “alter” its positions and policies, he said, according to Al-Sharq Al-Awsat.
He made his remarks hours after the UK said it was completely banning the group.
UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid said on Monday that the government will designate the entire Hezbollah organization as a “terrorist” entity as of Friday subject to the approval of the parliament.
Javid, an extreme right-wing politician of Pakistani origin, said the UK government was no longer able to maintain a distinction between Hezbollah’s political and military activities and thus will include the group’s political unit in its blacklist.
“Hezbollah is continuing in its attempts to destabilize the fragile situation in the Middle East – and we are no longer able to distinguish between their already banned military wing and the political party,” said Javid, adding, “Because of this, I have taken the decision to proscribe the group in its entirety,” he added in a statement.
Britain has become increasingly angered by Hezbollah’s role in an anti-militancy campaign in Syria, where London has for the past eight years supported terrorist groups opposed to the government of President Bashar al-Assad.
