Germany’s parliament to debate proposal to ban Lebanon’s Hezbollah

Germany’s parliament (Bundestag) is to debate on Thursday a proposal to ban the activities of Lebanon’s Hezbollah in the country.

The proposal was introduced by the right-wing Alternative for Germany AfD party, which accuses the pro-allied Iranian militia of posing a threat to Germany.

The debate of the proposed bill in the Bundestag coincides with a statement issued by the German local intelligence, which pointed out that the numbers of Hezbollah elements in Germany rose to 1,050 in 2018.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed hope last week that Germany would follow in the footsteps of Britain and ban Hezbollah.

Last February, Britain said it plans to ban all wings of Hezbollah due to its destabilizing influence in the Middle East, classifying the Lebanese militant movement as a terrorist organization, a move condemned by the Lebanese militia, which said that it showed “servile obedience” to the US.