BEIRUT: Hezbollah criticized Barack Obama Friday for calling on the international community to brand the group as a terrorist organization, a day after the U.S. president made the comments while visiting Israel.

“Obama’s speech [aimed] at appeasing the enemy entity would only sound correct with an attack on the resistance by calling on the world to consider one of the most prominent components [of the resistance] – Hezbollah – a terrorist organization,” the group said in a statement.

Hezbollah also slammed Obama for not recognizing the legitimate rights of Palestinians, including the refugees’ right of return as well as a moratorium on the building of Jewish settlements.”

It was clear from Obama’s remarks that he doesn’t value Arab and Muslim governments and ignores the simplest legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.”

It added that Obama’s speech makes him come across as an “employee at the Zionist entity, and not the most senior official of the United States of America.”