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I Hope Tucker Carlson’s Anti-Israel Tricks Won’t Work
Tucker Carlson speaks on July 18, 2024 during the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Photo: Jasper Colt-USA TODAY via Reuters Connect
Imagine if you came to work and told your boss that you were mauled by a demon in the middle of night. You’d probably be ordered to get a psych evaluation or fired.
But Tucker Carlson, with a serious face, said he was mauled by a demon in the middle of the night in 2024. When you have millions of dollars and charisma, you can get away with these things. What he can’t get away with is tricking people who are not stupid.
In 2023, Carlson verbally attacked Daily Wire co-founder and Orthodox Jew Ben Shapiro for extensive coverage of the Hamas Oct. 7 attacks in many episodes of his podcast on the Daily Wire. Tucker also accused Shapiro of not caring about America, while speaking to Saagar Enjeti. Of course, Carlson didn’t mention this when speaking to Megyn Kelly recently. He told her that Shapiro is not evil (why would he use the word evil at all?)
Carlson told Kelly he isn’t an expert on anything and wouldn’t claim expertise. But he then went after Shapiro, telling Kelly that Shapiro should stop lying and saying we’re going to defeat the Houthis, and that the whole point was to drag America into a war with Iran. Carlson said he knew a lot about that topic.
So Tucker’s not an expert, or is he? Confusing, isn’t it? Is Carlson aware that the Houthis say not only “Death to Israel” but also “Death to America?” Is he aware the attacks of the Houthis have caused economic damage for the whole world that ships products, including America? If Israel’s goal was war with Iran, why didn’t it respond extensively when Iran launched 200 missiles into Israel in October of 2024? Israel showed far greater restraint than any other country would.
Would America and the world have been safer had Israel not taken out Iraq’s nuclear facility in 1981?
Would America and the world have been safer if Israel had not taken out Syria’s nuclear facility? I once interviewed former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who told me he could not take the risk of inaction in September of 2007.
Carlson insanely told Kelly that he knows Shapiro wants regime change in Iran and should lay out the points of how that could be achieved, ostensibly through some attacks. I’m sure Carlson knows one should not publicly outline specific strategy — and he also knows that Shapiro is not a government official or military or policy expert. And what is Carlson’s strategy for Iran? Apparently, he knows a lot about the topic.
So, to sum up Carlson’s zeitgeist: I can insult you, but don’t insult me. I can demand you tell me your strategy when I have none of my own. I can say the most famous Jewish podcaster is trying to drag America into a war — the kind of argument that has resulted in the deaths of so many Jews throughout history.
Iran is a global threat to the entire world community — and if it gets nuclear weapons, it could set off a nuclear arms race in the region. This is the world’s problem, as President Trump has acknowledged repeatedly. Deterrence works — as can the threat of force. It’s not tough logic to follow, even for Carlson, who is not an expert, by his own words. His trick of blaming Israel will work against people who are uninformed, because Carlson has the gift of gab. But I hope it will not fool most Americans.
Carlson has been criticized for his coverage of Russia, and I won’t use that to attack him here. But Carlson could be very American and call for the release of hostage Edan Alexander of New Jersey at the very least. Alexander’s life is more important than a Russian bakery or the fact that their train stations are nicer than the ones in New York City.
The author is a writer based in New York.
The post I Hope Tucker Carlson’s Anti-Israel Tricks Won’t Work first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Rubio Heads to Israel Amid Tensions Among US Middle East Allies
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to members of the media, before departing for Israel at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, US, September 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Nathan Howard/Pool
US President Donald Trump’s top diplomat, Marco Rubio headed to Israel on Saturday, amid tensions with fellow US allies in the Middle East over Israel’s strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar and expansion of settlements in the West Bank.
Speaking to reporters before departure, Rubio reiterated that the US and President Donald Trump were not happy about the strikes.
Rubio said the US relationship with Israel would not be affected, but that he would discuss with the Israelis how the strike would affect Trump’s desire to secure the return of all the hostages held by Hamas, get rid of the terrorists and end the Gaza war.
“What’s happened, has happened,” he said. “We’re gonna meet with them. We’re gonna talk about what the future holds,” he said.
“There are still 48 hostages that deserve to be released immediately, all at once. And there is still the hard work ahead once this ends, of rebuilding Gaza in a way that provides people the quality of life that they all want.”
Rubio said it had yet to be determined who would do that, who would pay for it and who would be in charge of the process.
After Israel, Rubio is due to join Trump’s planned visit to Britain next week.
Hamas still holds 48 hostages, and Qatar has been one of the mediators, along with the US, trying to secure a ceasefire deal that would include the captives’ release.
On Tuesday, Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an airstrike on Doha. US officials described it as a unilateral escalation that did not serve American or Israeli interests.
The strike on the territory of a close US ally sparked broad condemnation from other Arab states and derailed ceasefire and hostage talks brokered by Qatar.
On Friday, Rubio met with Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the White House, underscoring competing interests in the region that Rubio will seek to balance on his trip. Later that day, US President Donald Trump held dinner with the prime minister in New York.
Rubio’s trip comes ahead of high-level meetings at the United Nations in New York later this month. Countries including France and Britain are expected to recognize Palestinian statehood, a move opposed by Israel.
Washington says such recognition would bolster Hamas and Rubio has suggested the move could spur the annexation of the West Bank sought by hardline members of the Israeli government.
ON Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed an agreement to push ahead with a settlement expansion plan that would cut across West Bank land that the Palestinians seek for a state. Last week, the United Arab Emirates warned that this would cross a red line and undermine the U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords that normalized UAE-Israel relations in 2020.
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Netanyahu Posts Message Appearing to Confirm Hamas Leaders Survived Doha Strike
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a Plenum session of the Knesset, Israel’s Parliament, in Jerusalem, June 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – In a statement posted to social media on Saturday evening, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the Qatar-based leadership of Hamas, reiterating that the jihadist group had to regard for the lives of Gazans and represented an obstacle to ending the war and releasing the Israelis it held hostage.
The wording of Netanyahu’s message appeared to confirm that the strike targeting the Hamas leaders in Doha was not crowned with success.
“The Hamas terrorists chiefs living in Qatar don’t care about the people in Gaza,” wrote Netanyahu. “They blocked all ceasefire attempts in order to endlessly drag out the war.” He added that “Getting rid of them would rid the main obstacle to releasing all our hostages and ending the war.”
Israel is yet to officially comment on the result of the strike, which has incurred widespread international criticism.
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Trump Hosts Qatari Prime Minister After Israeli Attack in Doha
Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani attends an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, following an Israeli attack on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar, at UN headquarters in New York City, US, Sept. 11, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz
US President Donald Trump held dinner with the Qatari prime minister in New York on Friday, days after US ally Israel attacked Hamas leaders in Doha.
Israel attempted to kill the political leaders of Hamas with an attack in Qatar on Tuesday, a strike that risked derailing US-backed efforts to broker a truce in Gaza and end the nearly two-year-old conflict. The attack was widely condemned in the Middle East and beyond as an act that could escalate tensions in a region already on edge.
Trump expressed annoyance about the strike in a phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and sought to assure the Qataris that such attacks would not happen again.
Trump and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani were joined by a top Trump adviser, US special envoy Steve Witkoff.
“Great dinner with POTUS. Just ended,” Qatar’s deputy chief of mission, Hamah Al-Muftah, said on X.
The White House confirmed the dinner had taken place but offered no details.
The session followed an hour-long meeting that al-Thani had at the White House on Friday with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
A source briefed on the meeting said they discussed Qatar’s future as a mediator in the region and defense cooperation in the wake of the Israeli strikes against Hamas in Doha.
Trump said he was unhappy with Israel’s strike, which he described as a unilateral action that did not advance US or Israeli interests.
Washington counts Qatar as a strong Gulf ally. Qatar has been a main mediator in long-running negotiations for a ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, for the release of Israeli hostages held in Gaza and for a post-conflict plan for the territory.
Al-Thani blamed Israel on Tuesday for trying to sabotage chances for peace but said Qatar would not be deterred from its role as mediator.