Despite its political wing, the militant group Hezbollah is a terrorist organization that is comparable to the Nazi party of the 1930s, says Prime Minister Stephen Harper's parliamentary secretary.

Jason Kenney was responding to two MPs who reportedly suggested Hezbollah should be taken off Canada's list of terrorist organizations.

Parliamentary secretary to the prime minister Jason Kenney said that negotiating with Hezbollah would be comparable to negotiating with the Nazi party in the 1930s.
(Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)

"We need to learn the lessons of history," Kenney told reporters Tuesday.

"There was another political party in the past which had support, democratic support — which provided social services which played an important role in the political life of its country in the 1930s — which was also dedicated to violence against the Jewish people.

"The world was wrong to negotiate with that party then, and it would be wrong to negotiate with Hezbollah today."

Kenney said Hezbollah is dedicated to the eradication of Israel.

MPs in Lebanon

Liberal MP Boris Wrzesnewskyj, New Democrat MP Peggy Nash and Bloc Québécois MP Maria Mourani are on a fact-finding mission to southern Lebanon.

Wrzesnewskyj said he considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization, but that he is concerned Ottawa's list of terrorist groups doesn't differentiate between the militant and political wings of the party.

He said Canada's legislation should be amended to allow contact with the political arms of banned organizations.

Liberal leadership hopefuls Scott Brison and Carolyn Bennett said Wrzesnewskyj should no longer retain his post as a foreign affairs spokesman.

"Borys should resign as critic. His statements were unacceptable," Brison said, noting that it was a Liberal government that first listed Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

With files from the Canadian Press