Australian Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews announced on Wednesday that there is no place “for violent, hateful ideologies” in the country as she announced the banning of the Shia Islamist militant group Hezbollah, which is based in Lebanon but active abroad and predicated on the demand for the complete destruction of Israel.
She said Hezbollah “continues to threaten terrorist attacks and provides support to terrorist organizations,” adding that its militia has been listed as a terrorist organization in Australia since 2003 as well as overseas. Andrews said Hezbollah was providing support to other terrorist organizations in the region, such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas’s Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
Until now Australia has only listed the group’s External Security Organisation (ESO) on the terrorist list, exempting its military and political wings from further scrutiny.
The government’s bipartisan committee on intelligence and security has also rightfully recommended the entirety of Palestinian group Hamas be listed as a terror organization.