Netanyahu lauds Trump move to outlaw Muslim Brotherhood, vows similar measures in Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lauded Donald Trump's plans to designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organisation in the United States and vowed similar in Israel.

The US president announced his intention to proscribe the Islamist organisation in an interview with US outlet Just The News on Sunday, telling the publication it will be done "in the strongest and most powerful terms".

Trump's statement comes in the wake of a decision by Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott to designate the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as foreign terrorist and transnational criminal organisations.

Aside from Austria, no Western country has banned the Muslim Brotherhood, although some European political leaders have spoken out against it and imposed restrictions on its activities.

"[The Muslim Brotherhood] is an organisation that threatens stability throughout the Middle East and beyond," Netanyahu said, praising the move.

He vowed to "complete the process" of outlawing the Muslim Brotherhood in Israel in an apparent threat to Islamist political party Ra'am, according to Haaretz.

Ra'am is the political wing of the Southern Islamic Movement, a branch of the Brotherhood-inspired Islamic Movement in Israel.

Its sister organisation, the Northern Branch, was banned in 2015 due to alleged links with the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas.

Ra'am is considered a moderate Islamist party and joined the coalition government led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid in 2021.

It denies links with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Following Netanyahu's comments, its leader Mansour Abbas said the party is "evaluating the legal situation".

The Muslim Brotherhood was founded in Egypt in 1928 and has historically been one of the world's most influential Islamic political movements.

It has largely advocated peaceful political and social activity and taken part in elections. In 2012, Muslim Brotherhood member Mohammed Morsi won democratic presidential elections in Egypt but was overthrown in a military coup led by current President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi the following year.

Its influence has waned in recent years following crackdowns by autocratic governments in the region. Western governments have largely permitted its members in exile to take part 

Netanyahu's comments come as his far-right administration pushes legislation that would make it harder for Arab candidates to run for election.

One bill would make it easier to disqualify candidates on the grounds of "supporting terrorism".