AJC Praises Thailand for Thwarting Hezbollah Terror Attack on Israelis

NEW YORK, April 18, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC praised Thai authorities for preventing a terror attack by the Iranian-backed Hezbollah on Israelis visiting the country.

"Global terror requires global vigilance," said AJC Executive Director David Harris. "Thailand is a country that has recognized the threat and continues to cooperate with other like-minded nations in countering Hezbollah's relentless, dangerous activities."

Two Hezbollah operatives detained in Thailand this week told authorities they had planned to attack Israelis in Bangkok.  Thailand is a popular vacation destination for Israelis, and many were visiting during the Passover holiday.

It was not the first time Hezbollah and Iran attempted to carry out a terror attack in Thailand.  Last August, an Iranian was sentenced to life in prison, and his Iranian accomplice to 15 years, for a failed bombing plot aimed at Israeli diplomats in 2012.

"Iran and Hezbollah's terrorist activity has reached a tempo unseen since the 1990s," stated the U.S. State Department report on terrorism last year.

"Hezbollah's mission is to wage war against Israel, and it has taken that battle to all corners of the globe," said Harris. "The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) should seriously consider taking unified action against Hezbollah, and label it a terrorist organization."

The EU last year designated the "military wing" of Hezbollah a terror group, following on the deadly 2012 terror attack on Israelis tourists in Bulgaria and foiled terrorist surveillance against Israelis in Cyprus.

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SOURCE American Jewish Committee