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@GermanEmbBeirut

@GermanEmbBeirut

#BREAKING NEWS🚨🚨🚨🚨

#LEBANON #GERMANY #BEIRUT #HEZBOLLAH #BAN

Lebanon Appoints the German Ambassador Dr. Georg Birgelen @GermanEmbBeirut!!!

Just recently, German Federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer (CSU) passed a so-called ban on Hezbollah.

Followers of the group are therefore no longer allowed to be active in Germany. The Lebanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has now invited Georg Birgelen, the German ambassador to Beirut, to a conversation.

The Lebanese Foreign Minister Nassif Chitti wanted "further clarifications" to the German decision, reported the state Lebanese news agency NNA. Accordingly,

Chitti made clear during the meeting the Lebanese view that Hezbollah in Lebanon was a "fundamental political component". She represents a large part of Lebanese society and also sits in parliament.

Seehofer had classified Hezbollah as a "terrorist organization" working towards the "violent annihilation of Israel" and issued a ban on all activities of the organization. Hezbollah is "fundamentally against the idea of international understanding".

So far, only activities of the military Hezbollah branch were prohibited in Germany - but not those of the political arm. With the ban, their supporters in Germany are no longer allowed to wave the yellow Hezbollah flag on which a fist strikes an assault rifle.

Symbols of the Hezbollah youth movement of the Shiite militia will also be banned in Germany in the future. In addition, the group's assets are to be confiscated in Germany.

The Federal Foreign Office in Berlin said that Birgelen had explained the background and the implementation of the ban on activities. The federal government's policy towards Lebanon remains unchanged.

Hezbollah has, among other things, a political wing in Lebanon that also participates in the government there. Its military arm fights the neighbor Israel and is on the side of the government forces in the Syrian civil war.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah accused the German government of bowing to US pressure by the decision. Iran also "severely criticized Seehofer's order" and accused the German government of having given in to the long-standing pressure from the USA and Israel:

Both the Israeli government and Washington classify Hezbollah as a "terrorist" organization. Tehran warned of the consequences. The ban shows "total disrespect for the government and people of Lebanon".

Hezbollah was "a formal and legitimate part of the government and parliament of the country" and played "a key role" in the fight against the jihadist militia "Islamic State" (IS).