Louise Ellman urges Diane Abbott to support full proscription of Hezbollah
Vice-chair of Labour Friends of Israel writes to Jeremy Corbyn's shadow home secretary, saying that not supporting a ban would be 'untenable'
The vice-chair of Labour Friends of Israel has written to Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott to urge the party to support the full proscription of Hezbollah because to not do so was now “untenable”.
Dame Louise Ellman’s “urgent” letter follows news that four north-west London properties were raided in 2015 and found to contain ingredients for bomb-making.
No-one was charged, but the Daily Telegraph revealed this week that it was part of an operation against agents of the Lebanon-based militia.
Until this year only Hezbollah’s military wing was proscribed, but in March Home Secretary Sajid Javid proscribed the organisation in its entirety after Jeremy Hunt became foreign secretary and overcame his diplomats’ reluctance.
“I am deeply concerned that Labour has refused to support calls for the full proscription of Hezbollah, even after the Government’s U-turn on the issue,” said Ellman, Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside.
“The bomb materials may have been gathered as part of a plot to kill British Jews,” she said, adding: “In light of these revelations, continued opposition to the full proscription of Hezbollah by the Labour Party is untenable.”
Hezbollah was established in the Lebanese civil war and in response to the Israeli invasion of southern Lebanon in 1982. Resistance to Israel is an important part of its agenda, as is representing Lebanon’s Shia community.
It has been accused of carrying out terrorist attacks against Jews and Israelis around the world, including in Argentina and Bulgaria, and the UK proscribed its External Security Organisation in 2001, followed by its military wing in 2008.
Since then Hezbollah has gained significant support from Iran and its fighters helped Syrian President Bashar al-Assad regain control of his country. The organisation is now an important non-state actor in Lebanon, winning seats in elections and running several ministries.
Israeli leaders now think Hezbollah has taken over the Lebanese military, and in a parliamentary debate last year, Security Minister Ben Wallace admitted that “it is difficult to separate Hezbollah from the state of Lebanon”.
During the same debate, Shadow Security Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said Labour continued to support the proscription of the group’s military wing.
He added: “Engagement with the Government and Parliament of Lebanon is important for the wider Middle East peace process, and we should be careful about damaging that engagement, but it is of course a question of balance.”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
