Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called on French lawmakers and all of Europe to declare Hezbollah a terrorist organization, after Argentina took the action and froze the group's assets.
"It's the major terrorist organization in the Middle East and in the world and it is operating terrorists on European soil," Netanyahu told French officials Wednesday at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, Israel Hayom reports. "The most important thing is to designate Hezbollah a terrorist organization.
"That should be done immediately," he said.
Argentina last week declared Hezbollah a terrorist organization and froze its assets on Thursday.
"It's very important that France and the rest of Europe do exactly what Argentina did recently and that it, too, declare Hezbollah as a terrorist group," Netanyahu said.
Argentina's Hezbollah designation, the first by any Latin American country, takes effect Friday. It coincides with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the AMIA Jewish community center bombing in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people on July 18, 1994.
The assault has long been attributed to Hezbollah, the Lebanese terrorism group that is backed by Iran. Both parties deny responsibility.
In addition, Argentina has accused Hezbollah of a 1992 attack on the Israeli embassy, also in Buenos Aires, that killed 29 people.
Pompeo is also expected to meet with Argentinian President Mauricio Macri on Friday, according to Israel Hayom.
Further, Argentina placed Hezbollah on a new list of people and groups with terrorism ties.
According to The Jerusalem Post, U.S. and Argentine officials say Hezbollah finances its global terrorism operations through the illegal tri-border economy of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.
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