The Australian government has decided to designate Hezbollah, including all its branches, as a terrorist organization, Australian Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews announced tonight. The new designation will prohibit citizens of Australia, which has a large Lebanese community, from funding the organization or being members of it.
Andrews explained that "the Iranian-backed Shiite organization is a real threat to Australia and continues to carry out terrorist attacks and support terrorist organizations. The government has zero tolerance for violence and there is no reason – religious or political – that justifies the killing of innocents.".
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett welcomed the Australian decision: "I welcome Australia's intention to declare Hezbollah and all its branches a terrorist organization. This is an organization supported by Iran and responsible for countless attacks against Israel around the world. Thank you, my friend, Prime Minister Scott Morrison, for your leadership.".
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Foreign Minister Yair Lapid: "I thank the Australian government for the decision determining that Hezbollah, with all its branches, is a terrorist organization. Australia is a close friend of Israel also in the fight against global terrorism. The Foreign Ministry is leading, in close cooperation with the Israeli security community, an international campaign to declare Hezbollah a terrorist organization. The Australian decision joins similar and important decisions by 17 additional countries in the past two years that have understood that there are no separate branches of a terrorist organization.".
""The same is true for the terrorist organization Hezbollah. It is one entity, and any separation between its branches is artificial. I call on other countries and the European Union to join the pressure on Hezbollah, to outlaw its activities, and to recognize the organization, with all its branches, as a terrorist organization.".
