Antisemitic media personality Tucker Carlson, one of the most influential commentators, reaching hundreds of millions online, has unleashed a storm on social media with what is arguably his most insane conspiracy theory yet, arguing that the war with Iran is a supposed Chabad plan to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque and rebuild the Bais Hamikdash.

During an episode of his podcast titled “War Update: Israel’s True Motives,” Carlson questioned why some Israeli soldiers had been photographed wearing “Beis Hamikdosh” patches, suggesting that the real goal of Israel’s war was the destruction of the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Har Habayis.

“How did all these guys wind up wearing patches suggesting the point of this war was the destruction of one of the holiest places in Islam and the rebuilding of a temple that is totally anathema to Christianity?” Carlson asked.

“This has been going on a long time in public through, in part, the efforts of a group called Chabad,” Carlson explained, describing Chabad, which is led by the Rebbe from Brooklyn, as “nice people engaged in all kinds of charitable activities, including drug rehab,” and saying “there’s a lot about Chabad that’s really good.”

However, he says they “have been pushing in a pretty subtle way, unless you look carefully, for the reconstruction of the Third Temple,” Carlson told viewers.

“It seems like, from the reading we did recently, that those patches actually came from Chabad,” he said.

The patches Carlson referenced are associated with “High On The Har,” a Temple Mount activist group advocating increased Jewish access to the Temple Mount. The group has no organizational relationship with Chabad. The connection between the patches and High on the Har is publicly documented and easily verifiable.

Carlson’s remarks went extremely viral, drawing a sharp rebuke from many who warned that rhetoric tying Jews to conspiracies about holy sites could fuel real-world violence.

“@TuckerCarlson has reached a level of absurdity that is going to get someone killed,” billionaire investor Bill Ackman wrote on social media. “He needs to stop this now. Someone who knows him well needs to intervene or he will have blood on his hands.”

“Carlson’s @TuckerCarlson claim about Chabad and the Temple Mount is a slanderous lie. His implication that Chabad is behind the war in Iran is a dangerous blood libel,” Crown Heights actvist Yaakov Berman said. “Reckless rhetoric like this is dangerous and irresponsible. He should correct the record and apologize immediately.”

“Someone from the White House needs to step in and tell @TuckerCarlson to stop, or he needs to be banned from the White House,” popular Jewish journalist Laura Loomer wrote. “He is going to incite some crazy Muslim or Neo-Nazi to shoot up Chabad. Tucker is going to get someone killed, and the White House has a moral obligation to say something since Tucker keeps being seen at the White House.”

“The Department of War and Commander in Chief carried out the strikes, not Chabad,” she added, while saying that Tucker is now “deliberately trying to incite violence against Jewish people.”

“Between @TuckerCarlson claiming Chabad is behind the Iran strikes and @RealCandaceO claiming Israel did 9/11, we have to understand that today’s antisemites—the most popular media voices on the American right—are trying to get Jews killed,” former spokesman of Israel Eylon Levy said.

Meanwhile, antisemitic commentator Candace Owens, in a series of posts on X, repeated and expanded on the claims, accusing Chabad of operating a secretive and dangerous agenda. “Tucker is telling the truth about the Chabad Lubavitch,” Owens wrote. “Read the book ‘Sigmund Freud and the Jewish Mystical Tradition.’”

“Also be reminded that when I discussed the Chabad on Piers Morgan, Jews tried to have me murdered,” she wrote, of course without providing evidence, because there isn’t any.

In a follow-up post, Owens escalated the accusations further, warning her followers to “be aware” of nearby Chabad institutions and repeating several conspiracy claims that have circulated online in recent years. She went on to claim that Chabad followers are “dangerous” and described the movement as “a radical sect of mystic occultists.”

“You’re hardly original,” Boca Raton chief rabbi Efrem Goldberg responded to Carlson and Owens. “The others who pushed these lies are villains in the dustbin of history. They’re gone. But the Jewish people aren’t. We’re not going anywhere no matter how many ‘questions’ you ask. Am Yisrael Chai!”

Actor Michal Rapaport shared pictures of himself putting on tefillin while writing, “CHABAD!!!!! Every single experience, interaction & prayer, laugh—all of my experiences with anyone or anything that has anything to do with CHABAD has been pure, beautiful & meaningful.”

At the Farbrengen of Shabbos Parshas Shemini 5713 (1953), the Rebbe told a story from the time of the Alter Rebbe’s arrest, which has extremely striking relevance and parallels to current events. The Rebbe first instructed the Chassidim to sing Ani Ma’amin. After that, the Rebbe began telling the story:

“When they rattled on the Alter Rebbe, one of the czar’s ministers was sent by the queen to investigate the story and life of the Alter Rebbe. His name was Derjavin, and he was a drunk and a big antisemite.”

The Rebbe noted that the Frierdiker Rebbe describes at length all the terrible things Derjavin did to the Russian Jews, but in the end “he had a bitter end.”

“Derjavin wrote to the queen”, the Rebbe continued, “that the Chassidim believe in Moshiach and that he is coming soon. Since they will need a lot of money to build the Beis Hamikdash, the Alter Rebbe is therefore collecting money now already for that purpose”.

The Rebbe took out a lesson that although Derjavin was scandalously lying – “we see from here that even a non-Jew knows and recognizes – “derhert” – what a Chossid is – one who believes in Moshiach, believes he will come soon, and therefore already prepares himself now for his coming”.

Reportedly, many shluchim are considering upgrading security at their Chabad houses and institutions, as Chabad and Jews have become frequent targets of online conspiracy theories and political rhetoric. 

“Chabad synagogues around the country need to increase their security immediately before this horrible man gets people killed,” political commentator Benjamin Bedaho said. “He knows exactly what he’s doing here, and it is pure evil. Chabad leadership should also consider a defamation case if this continues, or even now.”

At the same time, the Rebbe’s shluchim are resolved to only further strengthen their commitment to reach every last Jew and bring Moshiach with the Third Beis Hamikdosh on the Har Habayis.

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