After Tucker Carlson’s anti-Semitic and embarrassingly ignorant interview accusing Israel of oppressing Christians, we must ask: why did Tucker blast false accusations from a jihad-empathizing pastor who doesn’t live in Israel? Why didn’t he interview a Christian from Nigeria, Iran, China, DRC, North Korea, or another country with legitimately horrific persecution of Christians?
Tucker’s interview with Munther Isaac was remarkably ill-researched and seemed totally lacking in awareness that Muslims — aside from communists — are the single group most responsible for persecution of Christians in the world today. Jews don’t even make the list of top persecutors of Christians; in fact, Jews and Christians together are the most persecuted religious groups in most of the world. But the fact that Tucker does not understand that Israel is the only country in the Middle East where Christians have equal rights regardless of religion is utterly embarrassing.
Tucker interviewed a man who neither lives nor works in Israel, and falsely refers to Israeli land by the jihadi term “Occupied Palestine,” as PJ Media’s Stephen Green reported. Isaac also seemingly supported the Oct. 7 atrocities (see below), yet Tucker promoted him. Tucker didn’t interview Nigerian Christians, even though Nigeria is the most deadly country on the planet to be Christian. He didn’t interview a North Korean Christian, though North Korea often tops lists of Christian persecution. The list of anti-Christian nations, especially in Muslim-controlled Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, goes on, but Israel is not included. It’s the only Middle Eastern country where you can be openly Christian and openly critical of the government without fear of reprisals.
Here is video of the pastor applauding the October 7 Hamas massacre, declaring in Bethlehem during his sermon the next day that he was "shocked by the strength of the Palestinian man who defied his siege"
— Jordan Schachtel @ dossier.today (@JordanSchachtel) April 9, 2024
1200 innocent men, women, & children were murdered on that day. https://t.co/RiuWO58oMU pic.twitter.com/4vPtUrkZAT
Other countries with serious violence against or oppression of Christians include Iran, China, Afghanistan, Uganda, Sudan, Somalia, Kenya, Indonesia, Pakistan, Mozambique, Iraq, Myanmar, Algeria, DRC, India, Syria, and Laos. Once again, Israel does not belong on that list, and it is incredibly irresponsible and dangerous for Tucker to pretend it does.
Related: What the Hell Is Wrong With Tucker Carlson?
PJ Media’s Robert Spencer summed it up well on JihadWatch:
In many Muslim countries of the Middle East, the Christian population has been decimated. In Israel, it is rising. Yet Tucker Carlson decides to hit Israel, not any of the Muslim lands where Christians are being persecuted. He is reflecting the noxious spirit of the age.
I personally had a thoroughly wonderful experience in Israel with Jews of all stripes, from liberal to conservative to orthodox. Christians in Jerusalem are encouraged to practice their faith openly. There are undoubtedly incidents of discrimination against Christians — and against Jews — in Israel, because that’s true everywhere. But Israel remains the freest country in that area of the world for individuals of any religion.
In fact, the Israeli government is so open-minded on religion it sometimes backfires on Jews! Gaza is an oppressive place for Christians, but that’s because the Muslim Palestinian Authority is in charge! As Stephen Green wrote, “Did Carlson not know before he chose to interview Isaac that Bethlehem was 80% Christian before the Palestinian Authority took it over and that now it is 80% Muslim?” Yes, the PA also controls Bethlehem, by the way; not the Israeli government. Isaac works in Bethlehem, which is unfortunately not under Israeli control, so Carlson was highly irresponsible in implying Isaac lives in Israel. I personally saw the huge signs in Bethlehem warning all Israelis (specifically Jews) to keep out — close to the plentiful anti-Semitic graffiti.
Tucker needs to issue a major correction and apology. He also should, if he really cared about the plight of persecuted Christians, interview a Christian from Nigeria, China, India, Sudan, Iran, Myanmar, or any of the other countries listed above. Yes, persecution of Christians is a real and growing threat around the world, but falsely smearing Israel does absolutely nothing to address or ameliorate that crisis.
