AJC examined what the 2020 Republican candidates and the Democrats who made the third round of presidential debates have said or done vis a vis their stance on Israel to determine how they might navigate that relationship if elected.
For years, the U.S., Canada, the Netherlands, and other countries have called all of Hezbollah what it really is: a terrorist organization. The group’s self-portrayal as a legitimate Lebanese political party notwithstanding, no amount of spin or reorganization can overshadow Hezbollah’s destructive and lethal organized crime operation around the world.
Full designation of the complex group is possible and beneficial to Lebanon. Hezbollah has dragged Lebanon into violent maelstroms that led to the destruction of infrastructure, damage to the Lebanese economy and the loss of human life, in complete contradiction to the interests of the Lebanese government.
Hezbollah, which is part of the Lebanese government but operates primarily above the law, is involved in corruption on a particularly large scale. Full designation would enable the Lebanese government to contain the Hezbollah's corruption, reclaim control of the country, and implement Lebanese sovereignty.