Jul 25, 2013

The "live and let live" doctrine seems to be ruling relations between Hezbollah and Europe. Less than 48 hours after listing the group's "military wing" on the EU terror list, EU Ambassador to Lebanon Angelina Eichhorst visited Hezbollah's stronghold in Beirut's southern suburb and met the group's international-relations officer, Ammar Mousawi. According to well-informed sources, the meeting was "cold" and was held mainly to discuss the EU decision.

"Everyone knows that Hezbollah's political and military wings are the same,” Mousawi told Eichhorst, and added, "Blacklisting the party is an insult to all Lebanese, Arab and Islamic people who believe in resistance.” Eichhorst responded to Mousawi by stressing that the EU's decision is a political message to Hezbollah's military wing, adding, "Blacklisting the party should not justify any retaliation by a foreign country, including Israel, against Lebanon."

Eichhorst's meeting with Hezbollah came only one day after a visit by a Belgian Foreign Ministry delegate to the same official at the same stronghold.

Such meetings were seen by many in Beirut as an attempt by the Europeans to prove by example that they differentiate between the party and its role in Lebanese political life and the military wing, even if Hezbollah itself blatantly declares that there is no difference.

"In the next government, Hezbollah's ministers will be of the military wing of the party," said the group's leader Hassan Nasrallah, mockingly, in his first comments on the European decision. Addressing a group of his party's female supporters, Nasrallah said that the Europeans gave in to Israeli and US pressure, saying, "EU countries insulted themselves and their principles, interests and sovereignty when they gave in to the Israelis and Americans. They should know they are giving legal cover for Israel to launch a war on Lebanon, because Israel can claim it is waging war on the terrorists."