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Hamas at America's Doorstep: The Terror Network Now Threatening the Western Hemisphere
(Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs) Dr. Dan Diker - The Oct. 7 massacre exposed an international jihadist network that threatens Western security. European law enforcement has been uncovering a disturbing reality: Hamas spent years building a transnational terror infrastructure that extends from Copenhagen to Venezuela, positioning the organization as a global threat that Western governments can no longer afford to dismiss. Hamas operatives had established weapons caches across multiple European countries years before Oct. 7, including small arms stashed in Poland, Bulgaria, Germany, and Denmark - part of deliberate planning for potential attacks in Europe. Hamas has never successfully executed a terrorist attack outside Israel, the West Bank, or Gaza, but as its capabilities in Gaza face decimation, European and Israeli officials increasingly fear that Hamas will go global. Hamas's global reach extends into the U.S. through Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated organizations that provide ideological support, fundraising networks, and political cover. Hamas is the Palestinian branch of the Brotherhood. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) exemplifies this challenge. In November 2025, Texas Governor Greg Abbott designated both CAIR and the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations. President Trump subsequently issued an executive order designating specific Muslim Brotherhood chapters in Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Until Western governments recognize Hamas as the transnational threat it has become, the group will continue exploiting the gap between regional realities and Western perceptions. The writer is president of the Jerusalem Center.