Guest
Britain’s terrorism ban on all parts of Hezbollah came after intense lobbying by pro-Israel groups within Westminster. FULL STORY Hezbollah’s External Security Organisation and its military wing had already been proscribed in the 2000s. But in 2019, Theresa May’s government took the decision to proscribe the group in its entirety on the basis that it was “no longer tenable to distinguish between the military and political wings of Hezbollah”. Just a year earlier May’s cabinet had defended the distinction and refused to ban Hezbollah’s political wing, which holds ministerial posts in Lebanon’s government. However the policy shifted once Sajid Javid, a staunchly pro-Israel MP, became home secretary. Israeli ambassador Tzipi Hotovely has called Javid “a very special friend” and said his “friendship is one of the greatest things that happened for the Israel-UK relationship”. Hezbollah (meaning “Party of God”) is a Lebanese Shia Muslim political and paramilitary group. Its political bloc won 15 seats in the Lebanese parliament at the 2022 elections and is also part of the country’s government, holding two seats in its cabinet. An all out ban on Hezbollah was always controversial because of the group’s position in running Lebanon, which is a UK ally. The Conservative government eventually took the decision under pressure from groups and individuals who are well connected in Israel. In an interview in August 2023, Lord Stuart Polak, referring to the push to proscribe Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said, “I think what we need to do is just pure lobbying action.” He added: “It will happen and I think a number of people have said it’s just how long it takes for it to happen. It took us ages with Hezbollah. Again, why? Because I think it’s just easier for civil servants not to change.” The “us” Polak was referring to is likely Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI), a powerful Westminster lobby group that does not divulge its funders but claims 80% of Tory MPs are members. Polak is honorary president of the organisation and was its director for 25 years. When Hezbollah’s proscription was debated in the Lords in February 2019, Polak spoke strongly in favour. He took a swipe at then Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, saying: “Very few of us would call Hezbollah our friend.” Another Tory peer, Eric Pickles, who was CFI’s leader in the Lords, told the chamber on the same day thatin 2019 he wanted to “pay tribute to my noble friend Lord Polak, who has been a champion of this over a number of years and has kept this issue in the minds of both Houses of Parliament. He deserves considerable credit for arriving at this decision.”
