Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli issued a sharp rebuke of Tucker Carlson on Tuesday, accusing the conservative media personality of becoming "the leading platform for fringe Holocaust deniers, conspiracy theorists and blood libel enthusiasts."
Mr. Carlson, who was Fox News's highest-rated host before his abrupt departure in April 2023, has since established a significant presence on social media platforms, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), where he has a following of over 15 million. The network announced they had "agreed to part ways" with Mr. Carlson days after Fox settled a defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million over false claims of election fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
The latest controversy stems from Mr. Carlson's two-hour interview with Columbia University economist Jeffrey Sachs, who alleged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orchestrated the creation of Hamas and Hezbollah to pursue territorial expansion for Israel. The interview was notably amplified by Elon Musk, who described it to his 207.5 million followers as "very interesting."
Critics from across the political spectrum have noted a pattern in Mr. Carlson's recent programming choices. "The conspiracy theories of the nationalist right meet the conspiracy theories of the socialist left," said David May, research manager at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, dubbing it "the horseshoe episode."
Joel Pollak, senior editor at Breitbart News, pointed out that this was "the third rabidly anti-Israel interview Tucker has done," questioning the host's editorial direction.
The controversy follows Mr. Carlson's September interview with historian Darryl Cooper, which drew condemnation from all 24 Jewish members of the U.S. House of Representatives for platforming what they called a "Nazi apologist and Holocaust denier."
In April, Mr. Carlson hosted Munther Isaac, a Bethlehem pastor with what critics say is a documented history of antisemitic statements.
Mr. Carlson did not respond to requests for comment.
VINNews contributed to this article.
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