Alwaght- Recently, the German government added Lebanese Hezbollah to its terror blacklist. The move comes amid nationwide lockdown as the country is hit hard by coronavirus outbreak. Many read the measure as a step towards coordinating Berlin’s policies with the US and the Israeli regime’s pressures.
Alwaght has talked to Mossaib Naeemi, an expert on Lebanese affairs and former executive editor of Iran’s Arabic language Al-Wifaq newspaper.
Last year, Britain blacklisted Hezbollah as a terrorist group. Now Germany is taking a similar step. What is behind the Germany and generally the Western pressures behind stepping up the pressures against the Lebanese resistant movement? Alwaght asked.
Mr Naeemi responded that the anti-Hezbollah pressures predominantly serve the Israeli interests. Germany has no specific interests in this move. Germany is a European country with which Hezbollah has closer relations than other countries. During the prisoner swap with Tel Aviv in the past years, Germany played a constructive role. There are anti-Islamic and pro-Zionist elements and groups in the German politics, however.
“So, the recent move by Germany against Hezbollah has propagandistic nature and is devoid of concrete and influential results. The recent wave of storming the Shiite mosques and religious institutions in the German cities is aimed to provide propaganda feeds to the Israeli and American media.”
He continued that neither inside Germany nor outside it there is no much support to such a step, except for the US and Israeli regimes. So, he went on, the recent hostile actions provided the Israelis a propagandistic opportunity amid snowballing coronavirus crisis in the occupied Palestinian territories. After all, the mosques were closed down as part of the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And attacking closed mosques is nothing but a propagandistic move.
On the other side, Hezbollah smartly declined to seriously respond to the move. Actually, this act is of no significance to the Lebanese movement.
“Hezbollah is aware of the Israeli schemes to forge crises and would not step in the traps of the Israelis.” This is a temporary measure and will not have many impacts and this is because Germany and Hezbollah have no big economic relations. These kinds of measures would not help the political leaders in the West to incite anti-Hezbollah approaches among their citizens. We can conclude that this step is part of an Israeli scenario and so will not endure. The influence of this trivial move will very soon leave public opinion.”
Mr Naeemi was asked about the consequences of the blacklisting for Hezbollah and the Lebanese government with regard to the crucial role the movement plays in the government and parliament of Lebanon.
The Iranian expert said that all need to know that without Hezbollah Lebanon will not regain its former stability, especially in over the past months that Lebanon is hit by the domestic crisis and the people are uprising against corruption and abuse of national wealth. The only group in Lebanon that has no financial flaws or cases of corruption is Hezbollah. Hezbollah is the cleanest and most conscientious party in the country that acts to free Lebanon from the yoke of foreign influence and risks posed by the Israeli regime.
“German forces serving as part of UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) in southern Lebanon have the advocacy of Hezbollah. And the German-Hezbollah ties will not be severed by this statement. Hezbollah’s reaction will not be severe. The Western countries, excluding the US and the Israeli regime, stayed silent towards the move and the German government itself does not seem to intend to fully sever ties with the Lebanese movement. After all, Hezbollah is the main anchor of stability in Lebanon. Berlin cannot close its eyes to this reality and of course the two sides will continue their ties in different ways.
Germany’s move coincides with the new wave of anti-government protests in Lebanon. Mr Naeemi was asked for comments about possible links between the rejuvenated protests and the Berlin statement.
He said definitely there is a link. Such foreign measures and Lebanon home developments are linked. Washington, Tel Aviv, and forces close to Riyadh do their best to paint incompetent any government that is formed in the country mainly because they failed to keep in power their elements.
“When a new government which seeks to disclose the main elements of corruption and looting the country’s wealth, it is faced by obstacles, mainly by suspicious measures under the ruse of protests. The reactions by the Saudi and Western-backed groups reflect the worries about the government revelations. All these scenarios are tied to each other. In fact, while Hezbollah is not damaged inside Lebanon, the anti-Lebanese parties seek to damage it abroad.”
The expert blamed the Israeli incitement for the recent demonstrations in Lebanon, as Tel Aviv finds stability in the Arab country conflicting with its interests. It always wants to tell the world that there is no way Lebanon can form a stable government.
“But Hezbollah is a linchpin of resistance in Lebanon and is very well aware of the Israeli plots. It will not fall in their trap and this plot like many others will meet its failure.”
Alwaght asked Mr Naeemi about the economic performance and program of the new PM Hassan Diyab and if his economic plan will succeed.
Just against the initial presumptions, Diyab is not inexperienced, the expert held. He is seriously and firmly following his plans and this is arousing the ire of conventional power and influence holders in the country. The government announced that by Wednesday it will publicize the definite pathways it will follow to prosecute the profiteers.
“Diyab is a serious man and this is why the Sunni academics accuse him of colluding with Hezbollah. But he is the right man for the job and appears to be able to take serious measures to sort out the situation in the country. We can see the achievements of these measures in the upcoming weeks.”
