London Mayor Sadiq Khan wrote — as promised — to UK Home Secretary Amber Rudd on Tuesday, warning her that a “legal loophole” had allowed supporters of Hezbollah to participate in last month’s Al Quds Day March.
“Hezbollah is an illegal, proscribed organization, yet many perceive that it was actively celebrated during the Al Quds Day March,” he wrote, according to a report this week by the British Jewish Chronicle.
“A motion was passed by all parties of the London Assembly on Thursday 6 July which called upon the Government to take action.
“I would appreciate a response from the Government that acknowledges the hurt that is felt and your plans to close any loophole.”
To this point, Britain has banned only the “military” wing of Hezbollah under section 13 of the Terrorism Act 2000, but not what it calls the “political” wing. This in effect allows the Iranian-backed terrorist faction — which is based in Lebanon — to carry out fund-raising and other publicity activities in the country without fear, inasmuch as Hezbollah itself makes no distinction at all between the two wings, which bear the same military logo.
The Jewish Labour Movement, Labour Friends of Israel and the Conservative Friends of Israel have all called for an outright ban of Hezbollah, as has the Campaign Against Antisemitism.