EU blacklisting Hezbollah an act of terrorism: Senior cleric

A senior cleric says European Union’s decision to blacklist the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah is “an act of terrorism.”

Top Shia cleric in Lebanon, Sheikh Abdel Emir Qablan, on Monday condemned the European Union for putting what it calls the military wing of the Lebanese resistance movement Hezbollah on its terror list.

“We consider the EU decision an act of terrorism, and we call on the European Union to abolish this decision because it reflects injustice and avoidance,” Qablan, head of the Lebanese Shia Supreme Council, said.

The EU decision “shows the subordination of the entire European countries to the Zionist project in the Middle East,” he added, referring to Israel.

Hezbollah television station al-Manar also slammed the EU, saying it bowed to Israel by deciding to blacklist Hezbollah.

Meanwhile, the US and Israel both welcomed the European Union’s decision, with US Secretary of State John Kerry calling on other countries to follow the EU’s footsteps.

Israeli Justice Minister Tzipi Livni has also weighed in, saying the move erodes Hezbollah’s legacy as a political party.

However, Lebanon’s caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati has said that he regrets the EU decision and will follow up on the issue through diplomatic channels.

The decision was made unanimously after hours of discussions by the EU’s 28 foreign ministers at their monthly meeting on Monday. It came after prolonged diplomatic pressure from Washington and Israel.

The blacklisting would mean imposing visa bans on individuals and asset freezes on organizations associated with the group.