(Communicated by the Foreign Ministry Spokesman)
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom welcomed the decision by the French government (2 December) to remove the Hizbullah television station el-Manar from the European satellite offerings.
Minister Shalom and members of his staff are actively working on a political campaign against Hizbullah, and this latest step on the part of the French government signifies a diplomatic achievement.
Minister Shalom expressed the hope that the French move is only the first step towards a European decision to include Hizbullah in the EU list of terrorist organizations. This would prevent the organization from recruiting resources and building an organizational infrastructure in Europe, as was the case with Hamas, which finds it extremely difficult to raise funds and other aid compared to the past.