Tikvah
Editors’ Pick

June 2, 2020

Why Germany’s Recognition of Hizballah’s Terrorist Activity Matters

The dangerous myth of separate “military” and “political” wings.

For years, Berlin adhered to the fiction that the Iran-backed Islamist organization Hizballah comprises distinct military and political wings, so that even when it designated the former a terrorist group, it continued to allow the latter to function within its borders. German diplomats continued to conduct meetings with Hizballah officials. Thanks to U.S. pressure, and perhaps to Israeli intelligence sharing, Angela Merkel’s government recently reversed course, and declared the entire organization—which is thought to have 1,000 members within German borders—a terrorist group. Omer Dostri explains the implications:

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