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UK's Hypocritical Stance: Banning Israeli Allies While Harboring the Muslim Brotherhood
In a shocking display of anti-Israel bias, the United Kingdom has banned Israelis from enrolling in the prestigious Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) starting next year, marking the first such exclusion since the academy's founding nearly a century ago.
The UK Ministry of Defense cited Israel's ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza—sparked by the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack that killed over 1,200 Israelis and abducted 251—as the reason, claiming the operations violate international humanitarian law and calling for an immediate ceasefire and increased aid to Gaza. Israel's Defense Ministry Director General Amir Baram condemned the move as "a profoundly dishonorable act of disloyalty to an ally at war," especially given Israel's role in defending global shipping, countering nuclear threats, and fighting to free 48 hostages.
This decision comes amid strained UK-Israel ties, including sanctions on Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Prime Minister Keir Starmer's push to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN unless Israel ends the war. Recent meetings between Starmer and Israeli President Isaac Herzog highlighted deep tensions, with Starmer criticizing a strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar.
Yet, in a glaring hypocrisy, the UK allows the Muslim Brotherhood—the ideological parent of Hamas—to operate its global caliphate headquarters from London with impunity for decades. Founded in Egypt in 1928, the Brotherhood has used London as an administrative base since the 1960s, particularly after crackdowns in the Middle East.
By the 1990s, it had established a robust network of affiliated organizations, including media outlets like IkhwaanPress.com above a kebab shop in Cricklewood, serving as a propaganda hub. Despite a 2014 government review under David Cameron, labeling the group a "possible indicator of extremism" for supporting Hamas suicide bombings and anti-Semitic rhetoric, the UK has not proscribed it as a terrorist organization, unlike allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE. A brief 2014 relocation to Austria was an evasion tactic during the inquiry, but operations quickly returned to London. Groups like the Muslim Association of Britain (MAB), tied to the Brotherhood and Hamas, and the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) have influenced UK Muslim representation, charities, and mosques for over 30 years.
This double standard is exacerbated by Muslim officials in the UK government, numbering over 20 in Parliament and key roles as of 2025, including 19 Labour MPs post-2024 election. While no current officials are confirmed Brotherhood or Hamas members—given proscription laws—several show sympathies. Confirmed sympathizers include past figures like MCB's Daud Abdullah, who signed a 2009 Istanbul declaration endorsing jihad against Israel and Hamas attacks on foreign (including British) troops. MAB's Anas Altikriti, son of a Brotherhood leader, co-founded groups with Hamas commander Mohammed Sawalha and has defended the organization. Current MPs like Naz Shah (Bradford West) and Shabana Mahmood (Justice Secretary) have faced accusations of pro-Palestinian extremism, with Shah apologizing for anti-Israel social media posts and Mahmood linked to MCB events supporting Hamas narratives. Others, such as Zarah Sultana (Coventry South), openly praise Palestinian resistance and criticize Israel harshly, aligning with Brotherhood ideology. The 2015 review noted Brotherhood influence on national Muslim bodies engaging government, raising concerns about indirect sway.
The UK's ban on Israeli defense students while tolerating the Brotherhood's London hub for over 60 years undermines alliances and emboldens extremism. As an ally, Israel deserves better than this discriminatory policy, especially when Hamas—explicitly the Brotherhood's Palestinian branch—threatens global security.
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