Nasrallah plumbed new lows recently with an impassioned speech extolling Palestinian terror bombers as "great martyrs who astonished the world," and predicting that the current Mideast violence "will not end in political reconciliation" with the Israelis, but in their ruin.
Palestinian terror bombings are "moral, humane, legitimate, honourable and permissible," Nasrallah declared. This at a time when even Yasser Arafat has condemned the suicide bombings as immoral, and when ordinary Palestinians are turning away from terror.
Last summer, Nasrallah called America a "beast hungry for power and blood," the world's chief source of "evil war, terrorism and killing."
"We view America as an enemy of the (Islamic) nation," he repeated not three weeks ago. "We must act in order to spread the concept of death among the Islamic nation for the realization of Allah's way, as well as the act of suicide, to protect our land."
Months ago, and again last week, the Star argued that Ottawa should make it unlawful to provide any support for Hezbollah precisely because of this incitement.
Canada has been loath to do so, because the group has deputies in the Lebanese parliament, and does charitable work. So far Ottawa has banned only Hezbollah's military wing, which has attacked American troops, kidnapped people and hijacked an airliner. Yet out of concern for the needy Palestinian refugees and Lebanese whom Hezbollah serves, Ottawa has allowed people to continue funding the group's political and humanitarian wings.
That must now change. It is unacceptable that Canadians should fund Nasrallah to preach violence.
Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham seems to understand. Hezbollah is "contributing to global terrorism," he declared last week, paving the way for cabinet to add Hezbollah to the list of banned terror groups.
Canada has given Hezbollah every benefit of the doubt. Its response has been to fan hatred of Americans and Israelis, Christians and Jews, and to preach more Mideast violence.
This makes Hezbollah an enemy of
Canadian foreign policy, and Canadian values. It must be banned.