New York, NY, August 2, 2006 …As international efforts to secure a sustainable ceasefire in Lebanon gain momentum, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has called on the European Union to reconsider its decision not to designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

"Now is the moment for the EU to send a message to Hezbollah that its terrorist activities will no longer be tolerated," said Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director.

In a letter to Erkki Tuomioja, the Foreign Minister of Finland, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, the League urged the EU to reconsider its decision not to include Hezbollah on its list of proscribed terrorist organizations.  Mr. Tuomioja was reported to have said that the EU's decision not to include Hezbollah was a consequence of the current "sensitive situation."

"If the international community is truly serious about bringing peace to Lebanon through UN Resolution 1559, the EU must finally designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization," Mr. Foxman said.  Under the terms of Resolution 1559, Hezbollah must disarm and disband its terrorist militias.

The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.