By virtue of some amazingly stupid logic, Mr. Kenney is trying to liken Hezbollah to the German Nazi Party in the 1930s.
Jason Kenney says the fact that Hezbollah has a politicial wing doesn't change the fact that it is a terrorist group dedicated to the eradication of Israel.
He says Germany in the 1930s had a political party which ran in elections and provided social services but it was also dedicated to violence against the Jewish people.
That's quite a leap. Of course, Mr. Kenney conveniently forgets that Israel has its own history of paramilitary organizations that under his rules would also qualify as terrorist organizations.
Generally speaking, if there is a lesson to be learned from Nazi Germany, it should be that punitive conditions - such as those imposed by the Treaty of Versailles which punish and/or marginalize a population will backfire somehow. The fact of the matter is that the Arabs have always felt that Israel was created at their expense to some degree.
If there is a comparison to be drawn, it should be taken from the fallout of the Treaty of Versailles - and is precisely the reason that the "isolate the Hezbollah" model will ultimately fail.
The reality is that the picture in the Middle East, especially in regards to Israel, is complex. Projecting our local values and sentiments onto the region is a dangerous thing to do, as there are far too many cultural differences for such a mapping to be coherent. I suspect that practical answers lie in many little pieces - including finding ways to share "sacred" territory that Islam, Judaism and Christianity all claim as their own.
Meanwhile, people like Kenney should start by looking for solutions, rather than telling us (the voters) what can't be done. (Of course, that would require sentient thought - not something a bale of hay is noted for)
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