Christians United for Israel has challenged Amber Rudd in response to reports this week of the Home Secretary ignoring calls to ban Hezbollah in its entirety. It comes as a CUFI-UK petition approached 13,000 signatures.

Amber Rudd told London Mayor Sadiq Khan she won’t be giving a running commentary on whether she is considering banning Hezbollah in its entirety. The mayor of London was said to be “extremely disappointed” at the home secretary’s response, which came three months after he wrote to her calling for action.

Rudd last week wrote to thank the mayor for making representations on behalf of the Jewish community. “However, as you’ll be aware, whilst the list of proscribed organisations is kept under review, it is not the Government’s policy to comment on whether or not a group is under consideration for proscription,” she said.

Under the current law, she said, police would have to be clear that the “context and manner” in which the flag was displayed constituted specific support for the armed wing. “Context would include any information from the individual about intent. Officers will also consider whether other legislation, such as the Public Order Act, could be applied.”

CUFI points out in a letter to Amber Rudd that the Government’s present approach is focused too much on the use of the flag and not on the terrorist organisation behind the flag.

Britain has only banned its “military” arm but not its “political” wing meaning there is a legal loophole that is currently allowing support for the organisation to grow despite Hezbollah, by its own admission, not differentiating between its political and military wings.

For example, Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Naim Qassem, told the Los Angeles Times in 2009, “We do not have a military wing and a political wing…The same leadership that directs the parliamentary and government work also leads jihad actions in the struggle against Israel.”

Des Starritt, CUFI-UK Executive Director, told the Home Secretary, “By allowing Hezbollah’s ‘political wing’ without substantial measures against its ‘military wing’, the UK Government not only sanitises and legitimises Hezbollah’s “political” leadership, but also legitimises the entire terror group as an important player in both Lebanese politics and the Middle East conflict. Furthermore, this legal loophole allows open support for a terrorist organisation on the streets of Britain, causing offence and distress to many.”

Read CUFI’s Letter in full:

Dear Home Secretary,

Further to my email on 22 June, our petition calling upon the UK Government to ban Hezbollah in its entirety has exceeded 12,500 signatures. We would be very grateful for your response.

Hezbollah calls for Islamist revolution around the world, has carried out terror attacks for over 30 years, and calls for the “liberation of Jerusalem” and for the destruction of Israel. Backed by Iran, it has tens of thousands of rockets that can reach every city in Israel.

We feel that the present approach to this issue has focused too much on the use of the flag and not on the terrorist organization behind the flag.

You will be aware that Britain has only banned its “military” arm but not its “political” wing meaning there is a legal loophole that is currently allowing support for the organisation to grow. However Hezbollah, by its own admission, does not differentiate between its political and military wings.

For example, in 2013 the Hezbollah international relations official, Ammar Moussawi, said, “Everyone knows that Hezbollah’s political and military wings are one and the same”

Hezbollah’s deputy leader, Naim Qassem, told the Los Angeles Times in 2009, “We do not have a military wing and a political wing…The same leadership that directs the parliamentary and government work also leads jihad actions in the struggle against Israel.”

Nadim Shehadi, an associate fellow at the Middle East and North Africa Programme in Chatham House, said, “They [the EU] distinguish between the military and political wing when in reality there isn’t much distinction. But it’s a way of creating constructive ambiguity to maintain engagement at the same time as sending a strong message.”

By allowing Hezbollah’s “political wing” without substantial measures against its “military wing,” the UK Government not only sanitizes and legitimizes Hezbollah’s “political” leadership, but also legitimizes the entire terror group as an important player in both Lebanese politics and the Middle East conflict. Furthermore, this legal loophole allows open support for a terrorist organization on the streets of Britain, causing offense and distress to many.

Hezbollah is banned in its entirety throughout the world, including by the Arab League, United States, France and Israel, but not in the UK.

If “enough is enough” truly means anything then the UK Government should ban Hezbollah in its entirety with immediate effect.