A number of Conservative parliamentarians on Monday raised concerns in the House of Commons about the resurgence of terror proxies like Hezbollah in Syria posing a threat to Israel.
Speaking in an Urgent Question on Syria, CFI Parliamentary Chairman (Commons) Rt. Hon. Stephen Crabb MP said: “One of the groups the murderous Assad regime now relies on is Hezbollah, supported by its Iranian paymasters”.
He asked the Middle East Minister: “Does my right hon. Friend share the concern of a number of us who were in the region last week and heard from several sources about Hezbollah trying to replicate what they have done on the Lebanese border and stockpiling hundreds of thousands of missiles targeting Israel? Does he agree that that can only mean more bad things for the people of Syria and the people of Israel?”
Middle East Minister Rt. Hon. James Cleverly MP said in response: “I understand my right hon. Friend’s concern. I saw the reports of rocket exchanges going into Israel from Syria. Obviously, the Government want to see peace in all parts of the region, including Israel, and we want to ensure that there are no pockets for terrorists, which is one of the key reasons why peace and stability in Syria is such an important issue”.
Rt. Hon. Robert Halfon MP asked: “What assessment he has made of the threat to Israel with the resurgence of Hezbollah in Syria?”
Middle East Minister said in response: “Conflict and political instability provide a traditional hiding place for international terrorists. That is one of the reasons why we are looking to stabilise the situation in Syria”.
Speaking in the House of Lords, CFI Parliamentary Chairman (Lords) Rt. Hon. The Lord Pickles pointed out the Syrian regime’s dependence on Iran: “Syria is essentially a client state of the Iranians. What discussions are we having with the Iranians to persuade them to look towards a peaceful solution in Syria?”
