‘Evangelical pastors gave theological cover for the Gaza war,’ says Tucker Carlson
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American political commentator Tucker Carlson has accused certain evangelical pastors of providing theological cover for what he describes as Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Carlson said that some evangelical leaders have abandoned core Christian teachings in favour of political alignment, and that he personally knows pastors who fall into this category.
Speaking at length on comedian Theo Von’s podcast, Carlson emphasised that his criticism is not directed at Israel or Jews, but at Protestant and evangelical leaders in the United States who preach that supporting Israel’s military actions is a Christian duty.
“From my perspective as a Protestant American Christian, what Israel is doing is disgusting. It is inexcusable,” he said. “But I’m not angry at Israelis or Jews in my country. My anger is toward my own people — Protestant Christians and evangelical pastors who collaborate with the Israeli government and who have distorted their theology to the point of believing that their Christian faith demands supporting the killing of civilians, including children.”
Carlson’s comments came after Mike Evans, founder of the Friends of Zion Heritage Center and Museum in Jerusalem, accused him of harbouring a “strong anti-Israel bias” within the broader Make America Great Again movement. Responding to this, Carlson said he knows pastors who have compromised essential Christian values in the name of politics and prophecy.
“I have real animosity toward those people because they are hypocrites,” he said, adding that some evangelical institutions have fallen for a “great deception.” Carlson argued that Israel is acting out of its own national interest, while some Christian leaders misuse scripture to justify unconditional political support for the Israeli government and military.
“Jesus’ message is: don’t kill children. If you tell me otherwise, I don’t need a theology degree to know you’re a false evangelist. You will pay a price for that,” Carlson said. He clarified, however, that there are many sincere and principled evangelicals whose faith is not aligned with such interpretations.
Carlson also responded to Evans’ accusation that his rhetoric resembles that of the 1920s Nazi Party. “I am completely anti-Nazi. Completely against hate. Above all, I am against bloody aggression and collective punishment,” he said.