Tucker Carlson Falsely Accuses Chabad Movement of Orchestrating Iran Conflict

Jewish institutions across the United States have heightened security measures following inflammatory remarks by Tucker Carlson, who falsely claimed on his Wednesday podcast that the Chabad-Lubavitch movement is orchestrating the ongoing war in Iran.

Carlson alleged that Chabad is behind a religious conflict aimed at destroying Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock to facilitate the construction of a Third Temple. “This has been going on a long time in public through, in part, the efforts of a group called Chabad. C-H-A-B-A-D,” Carlson stated on his program.

These claims fundamentally misrepresent the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, which is a Hasidic Jewish organization known primarily for its religious outreach activities. The movement operates centers on hundreds of college campuses worldwide and focuses on community service and Jewish education rather than political activism. In Chabad teachings, the rebuilding of the Third Temple is described as part of a future messianic era to be achieved through religious observance, not through military campaigns or destruction of Islamic holy sites.

“To blame it on a Hasidic movement based in Brooklyn that just goes around the world, spreading Judaism, spreading love, spreading kindness, it’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” said Yossi Farro, a prominent Chabad member known for his work wrapping tefillin with celebrities, in a phone interview with the Forward. “He’s appealing to people that have never heard of Chabad and now, their first opinion is, this is horrible, these people are warmongers — which is the exact opposite of what we represent.”

Carlson’s allegations gained further traction when right-wing podcaster Candace Owens amplified them on social media platform X, posting “Tucker is telling the truth about the Chabad Lubavitch.”

The timing of these statements is particularly sensitive as Congress prepares to vote today on a war powers resolution that would halt President Donald Trump’s military operations in Iran. Recent polling indicates a partisan divide on the issue, with Republicans largely supporting the military action while Democrats generally oppose it.

This inflammatory rhetoric emerges against a backdrop of recent violent attacks targeting Chabad communities. Last December, a gunman opened fire at a Chabad Hanukkah celebration in Bondi Beach, Sydney, killing 15 people, including a rabbi, a Holocaust survivor, and a 10-year-old girl. In January, an individual repeatedly rammed his vehicle into the entrance of Chabad-Lubavitch’s world headquarters in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, causing significant damage during a night when thousands had gathered for celebrations.

Both Carlson and Owens have increasingly embraced conspiratorial anti-Israel rhetoric over the past year. In October 2025, Carlson faced widespread criticism after hosting Nick Fuentes, a known white nationalist with a history of antisemitic statements, for what observers described as a friendly conversation on his program.

During his podcast, Carlson attempted to substantiate his claims by displaying photos of Israeli Defense Forces soldiers wearing patches showing an outline of the Temple Mount, asserting that “it seems like, from the reading we did recently, that those patches actually came from Chabad.”

Rabbi Yaacov Berman, a Chabad spokesperson, directly challenged this assertion on X: “He is also wrong about the Temple patches. They did not come from Chabad. Had he done even basic research, that would be clear.” The rabbi noted that the patches Carlson referenced match those posted by the Temple Institute—a Jerusalem-based organization unaffiliated with Chabad—in January 2024, well before the current conflict.

Berman further explained that “many who wear the Temple patches see them as symbols of faith and hope for peace, and a yearning for the day when there will be no more war,” rather than as symbols of militant intent.

The spread of these unsubstantiated claims has raised concerns about increased targeting of Jewish institutions at a time of heightened global tensions and rising antisemitism.