(Communicated by the Prime Minister's Media Adviser)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomes the European Union decision to include Hezbollah on its list of terrorist organizations:

"I welcome the fact that the EU has also declared Hezbollah to be a terrorist organization and I thank the leaders of its member states.

In recent years, the State of Israel has invested great effort in explaining to all EU member states that Hezbollah is the terrorist arm of the Iranian regime and perpetrates attacks around the world. For years, the organization has carried out attacks against innocent civilians across the globe. Recently, it has sought to perpetrate dozens of attacks, some of which were actually carried out, in Asia, Africa, America and Europe, including the reprehensible murder in Bulgaria and an attack that was foiled in Cyprus.

At the same time, thousands of this terrorist organization's operatives are daily perpetrating war crimes in Syria and participating in the slaughter being carried out there, alongside Assad's forces; they have murdered approximately 100,000 innocent civilians so far.

As far as the State of Israel is concerned, Hezbollah is one organization, the arms of which are indistinguishable. It has imposed terrorist rule on wide sections of Lebanon, has converted them into an Iranian protectorate and is stockpiling tens of thousands of rockets there. These have been placed in the heart of civilian populations and are designed to be fired at population centers in Israel.

I hope that the implementation of the decision will lead to tangible steps against the organization."


(Communicated by the Office of the President)

Following the decision by the European Union to include Hezbollah on the list of terrorist organizations President Peres sent special letters to the leaders of the European Union.

President Shimon Peres, today (Monday, 22 July 2013), sent special letters to the leaders of the European Union, following their unanimous decision to include the military wing of Hezbollah on its list of terrorist organizations.

In the letters President Peres wrote, "I welcome the European Union's decision regarding Hezbollah, a significant and necessary step towards putting an end to the spread of terror across the globe. The devastating effects of terror are not restricted to the Middle East. As we witnessed in the horrific attack in Bulgaria, Hezbollah strikes all over the world, including within Europe, indiscriminately targeting innocent civilians. Your decision sends a clear message to terror organizations and the countries which harbor them that their murderous actions will not be tolerated."

President Peres recently visited the European Union and the issue of proscribing Hezbollah was top of the agenda in his meetings and the speech he delivered to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. In his speech to the European Parliament President Peres said, "Your voice is highly respected. We appeal to you – call terror – terror. The international community must designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization."