ALBAWABA - The Arab League has declared that it would no longer label Hezbollah in Lebanon as a terrorist group, marking a dramatic change in stance. Deputy Secretary-General Hossam Zaki provided this information during his visit to Beirut in an interview with Egypt's El-Kahire El-Ikhbariyya television.
Zaki reminded everyone that the Arab League had earlier declared Hezbollah to be a terrorist organization and cut off contact with them as a result. He emphasized that there is now a consensus among Arab League members to discontinue designating Hezbollah as a terrorist group.
"This new stance facilitates communication between the Arab League and Hezbollah," Zaki said. "The Arab League no longer classifies Hezbollah as a terrorist organization."
With this shift, the Arab League and Hezbollah have communicated for the first time in more than ten years. Hezbollah was designated as a terrorist group by the Arab League on March 11, 2016, in response to a decision made by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on March 2. The League accused Hezbollah of encouraging extremism and sectarianism.
Lebanese media reports state that Deputy Secretary-General Zaki met with Muhammad Raad, the head of the Hezbollah-affiliated "Loyalty to the Resistance" group, during his most recent trip to Beirut. This meeting is the first time that the Arab League and Hezbollah have interacted since the first categorization more than a decade ago.
