Trump Signs Executive Order to Designate Muslim Brotherhood Branches as Foreign Terrorist Organizations
Executive Action Overview
President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing his administration to investigate the potential designation of certain branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as foreign terrorist organizations. This move is anticipated to introduce sanctions against start of the most influential Islamist movements in the Arab world, with the White House emphasizing its commitment to combating global terrorism and destabilizing activities that threaten U.S. interests and allies in the Middle East.
Findings and Recommendations
In the new directive, Trump instructed Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Busent to prepare a report evaluating whether to label the Muslim Brotherhood’s branches in Lebanon, Egypt, and Jordan as terrorist organizations. The report is expected within 45 days, after which the administration will take appropriate action based on the findings.
The announcement coincides with rising concerns following the October 7, 2023, attacks in which the military wing of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Lebanese branch allegedly assisted terrorist organizations in launching rocket attacks against civilian and military targets in Israel. The White House also noted that a senior member of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood called for violent assaults against U.S. partners in the Middle East on the same day as the Hamas-led attack.
U.S. Strategy and Goals
The overarching aim of Trump’s executive order is to disrupt the capabilities and activities of the group’s branches if they are designated as foreign terrorist organizations. This designation would seek to cut resources to these branches and eliminate any threat they may pose to American citizens and national security.
Just days prior, Trump declared his intention to label the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization, a decision influenced by similar actions in Texas and recent reports highlighting the organization’s infiltration into the United States. The administration’s increasing anxiety regarding the Brotherhood’s global operations has prompted this strategic response.
Regional Support
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised Trump’s announcement, indicating that Israel has already taken steps to outlaw parts of the organization and is working diligently to further these efforts. Netanyahu’s comments reflect a shared regional concern over the influence of Islamist groups in the area.
Political Implications
The Ra’am party, led by Mansour Abbas and considered the political wing of the southern Islamic movement in Israel, has come under fire from Netanyahu for its coalition with the Bennett-Lapid government, which he claims has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood.
The Muslim Brotherhood, established nearly a century ago in Egypt, currently operates through various affiliated branches, parties, and movements worldwide. Its stated goal is to establish an Islamic state governed by Sharia law. Analysts have linked the organization to modern jihadist figures like Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri and associated it with terrorist groups such as Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and Al-Qaeda.