Tucker Carlson, co-founder of the Daily Caller News Foundation, recently made a statement on Piers Morgan's show, "Piers Morgan Uncensored," asserting that any group that takes innocent lives, including Hamas, should be classified as a terrorist organization.
This comment came in response to a clip from Carlson's Friday episode that sparked controversy online and in the media, with figures such as Republican Texas Senator Ted Cruz suggesting that Carlson was unsure of Hamas's terrorist status.
In the face of Morgan's direct question about whether he considered Hamas members as terrorists, Carlson responded, "I think any organization that kills the innocent, including Hamas, is a terror organization."
He further emphasized the importance of defining terms before engaging in a conversation, stating, "The purpose of language is to convey specific ideas, and so in order to have a conversation you have to define what youre talking about."
Carlson went on to provide his definition of terrorism, describing it as the act of murdering innocent individuals. He cited Hamas as an example, referencing instances where the group had killed innocent people at a music festival. He stressed that anyone who murders individuals who have committed no crime is committing terrorism.
According to the Daily Caller, the controversy arose from a segment in Carlson's Friday episode where he interviewed Shahed Ghoreishi, former U.S. State Department Press Officer for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs. During the interview, Carlson questioned how Christians could be killed in Gaza, arguing that they wouldn't be associated with Hamas if they were Christians.
He further suggested that Hamas seemed more like a political organization than a group of jihadis.
When Morgan asked whether Carlson's definition of terrorism would include Israel, the Daily Caller News Foundation co-founder responded that it would include anyone. He added, "It includes people I know personally in the United States. I know a lot of people who have okayed the order. I know in some cases people who participated in carrying out the order to murder people who committed no crime."
Carlson has consistently highlighted the impact of the Hamas-Israel conflict on Palestinian Christians. In an April interview with Rev. Munther Isaac, he mentioned an Israeli airstrike in October 2023 that left the St. Porphyrius Greek Orthodox Church campus in the Gaza Strip in ruins.
In his conversation with Morgan, Carlson further elaborated on his views on terrorism, stating, "The point of it is to depopulate a place, move a population, whatever the point of it is. The effect of it is to punish people whove committed no crime."
He emphasized the distinctiveness of the Western system, which he believes values the principle of not punishing the innocent. He expressed concern about a concerted effort to blur the meaning of these terms but remained resolute in his commitment to defining words precisely.
Carlson's comments underscore the importance of clear definitions and understanding in discussions about terrorism. His assertion that any organization that kills the innocent, including Hamas, is a terrorist organization, offers a clear perspective on the issue.
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