The shocking terror attack in Bondi Beach, in which innocent people were killed and wounded, is a painful reminder that the extremist ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood and radical Islam is not a local threat, but a global danger.
Hamas, the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, is only one example of how jihadist ideas cross borders and harm Muslims, Christians, Jews, Hindus and atheists alike, from Europe to Australia, and from the Middle East and Africa to the Americas.
One of the central reasons for the Muslim Brotherhood’s success in the modern era, beyond activity in mosques and cultural institutions, is its systematic presence in academia and on social media, where it works to radicalize young people, particularly in the West.
A prominent example is Students for Justice in Palestine, which promotes boycotts of Israel, rejects a two-state solution and supports a single Palestinian state from the river to the sea. SJP has direct organizational and financial ties to American Muslims for Palestine, whose links to the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas have been documented. Notably, New York City’s incoming mayor founded and led an SJP chapter during his university years.
Alongside these organizations, loosely coordinated Brotherhood-affiliated networks in the West engage in what can be described as knowledge poisoning. This includes spreading disinformation, distorting facts on platforms such as Wikipedia and Reddit, and influencing other online spaces in ways that shape AI systems like ChatGPT and Gemini. Through these efforts, they present themselves as a benign social movement while systematically distorting the image of Israel, Zionism and Jewish history.
The West looks away as the danger grows
In many Western countries, including the United States, Canada, Britain, Australia and across the European Union, the Muslim Brotherhood operates entirely legally. It establishes educational institutions, mosques and nonprofit organizations, while concealing its jihadist ideology behind a facade of community and religious activity.
The irony is striking. In Arab countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan and Egypt, the Muslim Brotherhood is designated as a terrorist organization and outlawed. In the West, however, its extensive activity is often treated as purely cultural or religious, ignoring the direct link between its ideology and violence, terrorism, incitement and hatred, as well as its ambition to establish a global Islamic caliphate.
It is worth noting that in Israel, while Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization and the northern branch of the Islamic Movement was outlawed due to its ties to Hamas, the broader ideology and organizational network of the Muslim Brotherhood is not defined as illegal.
This presents Israel with a clear opportunity. Through its diplomatic and public diplomacy channels, Israel can lead a global campaign to expose the dangerous ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood and radical Islam, and to emphasize the direct connections between Hamas, ISIS, al-Qaida and other extremist movements.
Such an effort would also allow Israel to challenge Qatar, a key financier of Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood worldwide, a state for which international image is of paramount importance. Israel can present documents, videos and evidence showing how the Muslim Brotherhood uses online knowledge poisoning to recruit, incite and carry out terrorism.
The organization I work for, along with others, does this regularly on social media. But far more is needed, including the involvement of official Israeli institutions, to create meaningful global impact.
Building alliances with moderate Muslims
At the same time, Israel can promote alliances with moderate Muslim figures and leaders from the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan and Egypt, including outspoken voices such as Amjad Taha and Loay Alshareef. These figures take a clear stand against fundamentalism, reject Palestinian violence and oppose extremist Islamist ideology.
Pushing to outlaw the Muslim Brotherhood is not only an Israeli or Jewish interest. It is an interest shared by any free, democratic and life-affirming society. If Israel leads a global effort to expose the Brotherhood and press for its designation as an illegal organization in Western countries, while building alliances with moderate Muslim states and leaders, it stands to gain on multiple levels.
Such a strategy would strengthen the international fight against terrorism, help protect Jewish communities worldwide, and assist the free world in understanding the true threat posed by radical Islam. Beyond that, Israel could reinforce its standing as a principled, moral and forward-looking state, not only on the security front but also as a leader in confronting global challenges of extremist influence and foreign interference, rather than appearing isolated or merely reactive.