Australia on Thursday became the latest Western nation to designate the radical Islamist Hamas group as a terrorist organization.
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Canberra outlawed Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, several years ago. The updated designation now blacklists the organization as a whole.
With this move, Australia joins Israel, the United States, Britain, Canada, Japan, the European Union, and Egypt, which include the fundamentalist Islamic group in their terror blacklist.
Australia's ABC News cited Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews as saying views of Hamas were "deeply disturbing. ... There is no place in Australia for their hateful ideologies. It is vital that our laws target not only terrorist acts and terrorists, but also the organizations that plan, finance, and carry out these acts."
I welcome the news that Australia will list Hamas as a terrorist organization in its entirety.
Thank you to my friend @ScottMorrisonMP for following through on our dialogue on this important matter.
This is another important step in the global fight against terrorism. pic.twitter.com/wQOJHVNr2c
— Naftali Bennett בנט (@naftalibennett) February 17, 2022
Peter Wertheim of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) welcomed the move. "Hamas political leaders have overseen and participated directly in terrorist operations and activities. They have admitted in a variety of contexts that Hamas's military wing is subordinate to the political leadership," he told ABC News.
Late last year, Canberra also outlawed the entirety of Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based Shiite terrorist group and is Iran's most powerful proxy in the Middle East.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett welcomed the decision, saying, I welcome the news that Australia will list Hamas as a terrorist organization in its entirety. This is another important step in the global fight against terrorism."
Foreign Minister Yair Lapid lauded the Australian government's decision.
"I commend Australia for its important decision to declare the entirety of Hamas as a terrorist organization. This declaration will make joining or assisting Hamas a criminal offense in Australia," he tweeted.
I commend Australia for its important decision to declare the entirety of Hamas as a terrorist organization. This declaration will make joining or assisting Hamas a criminal offense in Australia.
— יאיר לפיד - Yair Lapid? (@yairlapid) February 17, 2022
"With this declaration, Australia joins the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and others in recognizing the entirety of Hamas as a terrorist organization. The Foreign Ministry is leading, together with additional partners, an international effort targeting terrorist organizations, and Australia's declaration is an important step in that effort."
Defense Minister Benny Gantz tweeted, "Thank you to our Australian partners for designating the entirety of Hamas as a terrorist organization – including its political wing which plans, finances, and conducts terror activities. Hamas targets civilians, threatens the State of Israel, and holds Gaza residents hostage."
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