Germany’s Ban on Hizbullah Elicits Praise, Questions (AUDIO INTERVIEW)

Hamburg-based expert tells The Media Line that country need not worry about Iran, which has ‘other fish to fry’

Germany on Thursday banned all activities linked to Hizbullah, the powerful Shi’ite party in Lebanon that, at least according to the United States and Israel, is a terrorist organization. Previously, Berlin had banned only that activity that could be traced to the group’s armed wing – a policy that remains the stance of the wider European Union.

The move was lauded by Israel, whose foreign minister quickly tweeted: “Hezbollah is a terror organization & must be treated as such.”

The Media Line spoke with Prof. Eckart Woertz, director of the Institute of Middle East Studies at the German Institute of Global and Area Studies in Hamburg, for some insight, not only into what Berlin is thinking, but how this might be greeted by Iran, Hizbullah’s sponsor.