Board of Deputies welcomes Home Office decision to proscribe military structure of Hezbollah

BOARD OF DEPUTIES WELCOMES HOME OFFICE DECISION TO PROSCRIBE MILITARY STRUCTURE OF HIZBOLLAH

LONDON – (2 July 2008) – The Board of Deputies of British Jews welcomes today’s statement made by Prime Minister Gordon Brown during Question Time that the Home Office has officially proscribed the military structure of the terrorist organisation Hizbollah.

This will make it a criminal offence to belong to, fund-raise and encourage support for the military wing of the organisation.

Board of Deputies vice president and chairman of its International Division Flo Kaufmann said:

“While Hezbollah's external security organisation was already banned, we are pleased that this now extends the ban to the party’s entire military structure – a provision which the Board has been urging for some time.”

The Board of Deputies is the representative body of the British Jewish Community.

For more information, please contact Winston Pickett, Director of Communications: Tel: 0207 543-5400 Mobile: 07932 075 625, E-mail Winston.Pickett@BoD.org.uk