Israeli Official 'Mocks' Europe’s Inability to Blacklist Hizbullah

Civil Defense Minister Avi Dichter mocked discussions by the European Union on blacklisting Hizbullah, describing them as a “charade.”

Dichter accused the European countries that reject labeling Hizbullah as a terrorist organization as “unrealistic.”

The Israeli official told reporters in Paris on Tuesday “that questioning if Hizbullah is a terrorist organization is similar to wondering if Paris exists in France.”

“There is no dispute over the matter,” Dichter said.

He expressed frustration over “distinguishing Hizbullah's military wing from its political activities ... It's a charade.”

The EU is currently discussing blacklisting Hizbullah on the list of terrorist organizations in the wake of a February 5 announcement by Sofia that Hizbullah was behind a July bombing in Bulgaria that killed five Israeli tourists and their local driver.

The United States of America and Israel are pressing the EU to take a firm stance against the organization.

However, the EU argues that such a move could destabilize Lebanon and contribute to further instability in the region.

Any decision on adding Hizbullah to the EU list of terrorist organizations would require a unanimous decision by the foreign ministers of all 27 EU countries.

Under EU law, to declare a group a terrorist organization there must be proof that those who control it are terrorists, not just that its members were involved in a terror plot. The designation would also require the EU to freeze Hizbullah's assets in Europe and to work to choke off further funds reaching the group.