Smoke rises from a constructing following a reported strike, amid the U.S.-Israeli battle with Iran, in Tehran, Iran on this display screen seize obtained from social media video launched March 11, 2026.
Social media through Reuters
Carlson advised viewers of his eponymous podcast throughout its March 4 episode that the battle may very well be “a religious war” designed to rebuild the Third Temple — a idea primarily based largely on believers in Christian end-times scripture — on traditionally disputed land between the Jewish and Muslim faiths.
In the course of the episode, Carlson displayed video and a photograph collage of Israeli troopers, all carrying an analogous patch, which he claimed depicted the Third Temple.
“How exactly did the IDF, a military force the U.S. taxpayer pays for, that lots of wealthy Americans send money to? … How did all these guys wind up wearing patches suggesting the point of this war was the destruction of one of the holiest places in Islam and the rebuilding of a temple? There are a lot of ways it happened,” the host stated.
Tucker Carlson advised viewers of his eponymous podcast throughout its March 4 episode that the battle may very well be “a religious war” designed to rebuild the Third Temple — a idea primarily based largely on believers in Christian end-times scripture — on traditionally disputed land between the Jewish and Muslim faiths. Picture by Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons
He then alleged that Chabad, a Hasidic Jewish motion centered on outreach and training, “has been pushing in a pretty subtle way for the reconstruction of the Third Temple.”
However Gerard Filitti, senior counsel on the Lawfare Challenge, stated Carlson’s particular proof in regards to the IDF patches was fabricated or unverified. The patches Carlson had claimed belonged to Chabad are literally from an unaffiliated group, the legal professional stated.
“He named an identifiable Jewish organization as the secret architect of a war on grounds he did not establish, a pattern that creates not only moral culpability but potential legal exposure for defamation and the foreseeable consequences of incitement,” Filitti stated.
New York rabbis step up safety after ‘dangerous’ Carlson remarks
FILE – Police outdoors the Chabad Lubavitch world headquarters on Japanese Parkway in Crown Heights, Brooklyn on Dec. 14, 2025.Picture by Lloyd Mitchell
Rabbi Yaacov Behrman, a spokesperson for Chabad Lubavitch, headquartered in Brooklyn, advised New York News that Carlson’s antisemitic conspiracy idea claims about Chabad and the Temple Mount are lies.
“Tucker Carlson’s rhetoric is reckless, dangerous and irresponsible. It endangers Jews worldwide,” he stated. “Chabad focuses on doing good deeds to bring more goodness in the world.”
“History has taught us that lies and blood libels always lead to violence,” he stated.
Whereas Behrman values free speech in America, he stated it will probably generally contribute to the unfold of misinformation or lies when used irresponsibly.
“Freedom of speech is something that is good. Part of my family comes from parts of Europe where it wasn’t allowed,” the rabbi stated. “We appreciate being allowed to practice your religion and being allowed to say anything. But it also comes with risks. When you have a platform as big as Tucker’s and you spread reckless conspiracy theories rooted in antisemitic ideas, total lies, a lot of people read that. And it’s dangerous.”
Rabbi Mark Wildes, founder and director of the Manhattan Jewish Expertise, stated “Tucker is at it again,” and defended Chabad from the host’s feedback.
“His ridiculous comments about Chabad—an organization that does tremendous good for Jews and communities around the world—reveal a deep ignorance about, and hostility toward, the Jewish people,” Wildes stated. “I don’t know where he gets these ideas, but rhetoric like this becomes dangerous when it reaches such a large audience. To those who support him: be careful who you choose to look up to.”
Filitti echoed the feelings of many Jewish advocates.
“Tucker Carlson is spreading lies that inflame Jew-hatred and can get people killed at a time when Jewish communities around the world are under siege,” he stated. “Every political leader and every media figure who shares his platform, his stage, or his audience must say so clearly and without equivocation – or be judged by their silence to be complicit.”
New York News contacted “The Tucker Carlson Show” for remark and is awaiting a response.
