Home Secretary Sajid Javid is set to ban the political wing of Hezbollah in a move which would prevent supporters of the Iranian-backed militant group from parading its flag on UK streets.
Mr Javid’s expected move follows warnings by MPs that the UK had drawn a false distinction by proscribing Hezbollah’s military wing but not its political side.
This has allowed participants in the annual Al Quds Day march through central London to wave the Hezbollah flag, featuring an assault rifle.
At the end of last year, Mr Javid acknowledged that Hezbollah chiefs had themselves questioned the distinction between its military and political activities.
The JC reported that in answer to a Parliamentary question, the Home Secretary responded: “It is clear that Hezbollah has engaged in and promoted terrorist activity around the world.
"That is why we have already proscribed its military wing, but I am aware that Hezbollah leaders have themselves cast doubt on the distinction between the military and political activities.”
Referring to the Al Quds Day rally during a Westminster Hall debate in June, Joan Ryan – one of the MPs who left Labour this week to join The Independent Group - said she was "appalled that the government should once again have allowed this Iranian-inspired hate fest to take place on the streets of London”.
An MP familiar with Mr Javid’s plans told the Sunday Telegraph: "It has been worked on for some time and is now imminent - and long overdue.
"It was a curious anomaly not to proscribe Hezbollah's political wing as well given that such a range of other countries had made a similar decision.
"In the current climate, it is a really strong signal that we won’t tolerate celebrations of terrorism and antisemitism on the streets of the UK."
Hezbollah's military wing was banned by the Labour government in 2008 for supporting and committing terrorist acts. But ministers have argued that outlawing the entire group could damage relations with the Lebanese government, which includes Hezbollah representatives.
During a Parliamentary meeting in 2009, Jeremy Corbyn referred to Hezbollah, and the Hamas terror group, as “friends”.
In 2016, he told a Commons committee he regretted using “inclusive language… which with hindsight I would rather not have used”.
Labour MPs were last year encouraged not to push for a ban on Hezbollah as party leaders wanted to “encourage” the organisation “down an effective democratic path”.
