Entryism and Jew Hatred: The Case of Doctors Without Borders

In 1995, Muslim Brotherhood leader Yusuf al-Qaradawi addressed supporters in Ohio with a prediction. The West, he stated, would not fall “through the sword” but would collapse under quiet Islamist infiltration. Through the patient, legal work of building influence inside a society’s institutions to undermine them – “we will conquer Europe, we will conquer America.” Not restricted to the Muslim Brotherhood, this strategy is often described as “entryism,” and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), or Doctors Without Borders, is a major example.

MSF was founded in France in 1971, based on the principle of treating those wounded by war without regard for identity or affiliation. MSF’s mission statement emphasizes combining aid with “testimony,” and highlighting independence and neutrality as essential to ensuring access and protection in conflict zones. Based on these principles, thousands of doctors joined the NGO, participated in its humanitarian activities around the world, and donated funds.

However, the principles have been systematically undermined, transforming the organization beyond recognition. MSF’s governing structure has been manipulated by individuals who refashioned MSF into a vehicle for anti-Israel, anti-Western, and often antisemitic propaganda.

Rima Hassan, now a member of the European Parliament from France, is a major example. Born in Syria, in a Palestinian camp, Hassan migrated with her parents, studied international law at the Sorbonne, and entered French politics. Journalist Nora Bussigny’s investigation describes a trajectory moving “from a troubled fascination with Jewish culture to a radical obsession.” Hassan was central in bringing Muslim Brotherhood-linked groups Lallab and FEMYSO into European Parliament frameworks. In 2024, 50 MEPs submitted a letter to the Parliament’s president expressing concern regarding Hassan’s links to the Brotherhood.

In July 2021, Hassan became a board member of MSF France, bringing her antisemitic agenda with her. Far from “neutrality,” she went on to parrot and amplify the lies of Israeli organ theft, a canard with roots in medieval blood libels, and the dog-rape hoax promoted by a Hamas-linked NGO. She called the October 7 massacre “legitimate,” and joined two Gaza-bound flotillas linked to Hamas.

Although Hassan ended her formal affiliation with MSF France after a year, her imprint on the organizational culture was substantial. It was during this period, which coincided with the Hamas-organized violent confrontations at Gaza’s border with Israel, that MSF’s neutrality and credibility on Israel disappeared. The once “highly respected” humanitarian organization became a leader in the propaganda war, promoting false accusations against Israel and the vocabulary of demonization, including genocide.

Alain Destexhe, MSF’s secretary-general in the 1990s, recently stated that “it would have been impossible at the time when I was secretary-general of MSF to be as biased as MSF is now in Gaza.” Whether Hassan was a major source of this destructive transformation, or her inside role accelerated existing trends, is unclear.

UK-based Dr. Ghassan Abu Sittah is another example of MSF entryism and demonization. Abu Sittah traveled to Gaza frequently for both hospital service and political advocacy. His virulent false accusations reached a crescendo on October 17, 2023, in a grotesque press conference under MSF’s auspices, when he “testified” that Israel was responsible for an explosion at al-Ahli hospital that supposedly killed hundreds. Amplified by MSF’s PR team, the claim appeared instantly in headlines and viral social media posts around the world. A few days later, the facts became clear – the explosion in the parking lot (not the hospital) was caused by an Islamic Jihad rocket that fell short, and less than 50 died. Neither MSF nor Abu Sittah have acknowledged the blatant lie or retracted the statements and social media posts.

In parallel, MSF became a leading source of demonization in social media posts. Between October 7, 2023, and January 2026, the NGO’s accounts repeated the libel of “genocide” 272 times – a term it did not use in any other global conflicts. In contrast, the Israeli hostages were the primary subject of only three posts.

Evidence documenting MSF’s internal culture of antisemitism is also surfacing, fostered by the entryism process beyond Rima Hassan and Abu Sittah. Michael Goldfarb, who worked for MSF-USA for 15 years, said that colleagues, knowing that he is Jewish, told him “Israel doesn’t have a right to exist.” Dr. Estrella Lasry, a consultant in MSF’s medical branch in Geneva who voiced objections to MSF’s deep anti-Israel bias was attacked for being “part of the Israeli propaganda machine”. Internal staff forum posts called Israel a “textbook example of…settler colonialism” and a “76-year-old crime scene.”

The antisemitism and demonization are amplified among top officials, including MSF International President Javid Abdelmoneim, (previously chair of MSF’s UK board and a media activist, including on Qatar-owned Al Jazeera), Tirana Hassan (not related to Rima) who became head of Doctors Without Borders USA after many years with Human Rights Watch, where she contributed to the anti-Israel campaigns, and Sana Bég, executive director of MSF Canada, and a former Al Jazeera staffer.

The hijacking of MSF from within is far from unique among NGOs claiming to promote moral and humanitarian agendas. The entryism is enabled by board members and major donors, including tax-exempt foundations and governments. The time for a fundamental rebuilding of the entire structure of the powerful NGO industry and a removal of the sources of Jew-hatred and anti-Westernism is long overdue.

Prof. Steinberg is founder and president of the NGO Monitor research institute, and professor emeritus of political studies at Bar Ilan University.