An Arab Middle East scholar and expert on Islamism and antisemitism says the Muslim Brotherhood found its path into Western political activism through the anti-Israel movement.
Dalia Ziada, a researcher focused on political Islam and extremism, says the Muslim Brotherhood initially struggled to gain traction with Western progressive movements. According to her analysis, repeated outreach efforts failed—until anti-Israel activism provided what she describes as a strategic opening.
Ziada argues that shared narratives around “anti-colonialism” and “oppression” created a bridge between Islamist actors and segments of the radical left. From there, she claims, cooperation intensified rapidly, with anti-Israel platforms serving as a unifying cause that allowed ideological differences to be set aside.
She warns that this alignment has reshaped discourse in parts of academia, activist circles, and public debate, blurring the lines between legitimate criticism of Israeli policy and what she describes as broader ideological agendas rooted in Islamist political strategy.