David Friedman, who served as President Donald Trumps ambassador to Israel, has delivered a blistering rebuke of Tucker Carlson over the commentators latest remarks on the Israel-Hamas war.
Carlson, now a leading voice on the populist right and a frequent critic of U.S. engagement overseas, recently appeared with progressive host Cenk Uygur, where he accused Israel of deliberately targeting children in Gaza because they believe in blood guilt, according to Mediaite.
In a clip circulated by the anti-Semitism watchdog Canary Mission, Carlson declared, The Israelis have been happy to murder tens of thousands of children in Gaza because they believe in blood guilt. Thats justthats the truth. They say it out loud. Amalek, We believe in blood guilt. Like the children are responsible for the sins of their parents, so were going to kill them.
Carlson, a close ally of Vice President JD Vance, has increasingly distanced himself from President Trumps more assertive foreign policy, denouncing both the U.S. bombing of Iran and Washingtons continued backing of Israels war effort. That ideological rift was thrown into sharp relief when Friedman, a key architect of the Trump administrations pro-Israel agenda, publicly dismantled Carlsons claims.
In just a few sentences, @TuckerCarlson offers up some of the most venal lies ever spoken about the State of Israel and the Jewish people, Friedman wrote on X, before laying out a point-by-point rebuttal. First, he countered Carlsons casualty claims, insisting that tens of thousands of children have not been killed in Gaza and noting that Almost half of those killed were Hamas members, many others were adults, and the ratio of civilians to combatants killed is the lowest in the history of urban warfare.
Second, Friedman rejected the notion that Israelis are happy to murder children, arguing that Israel has not murdered anyone and that minors who died did so because Hamas terrorists intentionally placed them in harms way as human shields. Israel laments the loss of life of every child. Third, he flatly denied Carlsons theological accusation, stating, Jews do not believe in blood guilt thats just a ridiculous blatant lie. No one is subject to retribution by the state because of the sins of their ancestors;
Fourth, Friedman clarified Carlsons invocation of scripture, explaining that Amalek was a biblical enemy of Israel that is condemned for destruction in the Bible. The lesson that carries forward is that Israel should defeat its enemies, not bystanders without guilt; and finally, he faulted Gazas population for failing to show basic humanity toward Israeli captives, writing, I didnt see you referring to a single resident of Gaza who came to the aid of the hundreds of Israeli hostages held under the most barbaric conditions. Thats because none exists.
Friedmans intervention underscores a deeper divide on the right between those who maintain President Trumps unapologetically pro-Israel stance and a newer isolationist current willing to echo narratives that conservatives traditionally associate with the far left. By calling Carlsons rhetoric venal lies and meticulously rebutting his charges, the former ambassador signaled that for many in the Trump orbit, defending Israels legitimacy and moral standing remains a non-negotiable pillar of American foreign policy.
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