Tucker Carlson Gets Into Screaming Match With Israeli TV Anchor

In his first major interview with Israeli media in years, Tucker Carslon sat down with Channel 13 anchor and chief political analyst Udi Segal for a prime-time exchange that turned combative within minutes, covering Gaza, US aid to Israel, Netanyahu, Iran, and whether Israel qualifies as a democracy.

Carlson told Channel 13 that Israel has "definitely lost its morality," pointing to civilian casualties inflicted during Israel's recent wars against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran as evidence of a lost moral compass.

"A Little Hard to Hear"

The sharpest moment came when Segal referred to Iran as a "terror regime." Carlson pushed back immediately.

"As an Israeli, you should pause before using the phrase 'terror regime,' since you live in a country that just murdered thousands of children in Gaza," Carlson said. "We should all pull back a little bit on the rhetoric like that. I'm not defending Iran, but I'm just saying - 'terror regime,' it's a little hard to hear that from an Israeli right now, I have to say."

Segal fired back, saying it was obvious Carlson wanted him to equate "a democratic government that's acting, maybe not to your taste, but from self-defense, to a terror regime in Iran that is terrorizing its own citizens, that [is] hanging gay people from cranes with Islamic extremist sharia," calling the comparison "ridiculous." The two talked over each other at several points.

Netanyahu: "Leading Israel Toward Destruction"

Carlson directed much of his fire at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of steering the country in a dangerous direction. He described Netanyahu as "a very bad leader and a very unwise leader," while conceding that he believes Netanyahu "is acting in what he thinks is his nation's best interest."

Carlson also argued that "because of this war, America's relationship with Israel, while it may be based on good intentions, is hurting the United States very badly," and called for an end to all US military aid and special agreements with Israel immediately.

"Not a Democracy in Any Sense"

Carlson argued that neither Israel nor the United States can properly be described as functioning democracies, pointing to millions of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza living under Israeli control without voting rights.

When pressed on October 7, the Hamas massacre of Israeli civilians including women and infants, Segal confronted Carlson directly on whether Israel had the right to defend itself. Carlson did not dispute the horror of the attacks but maintained that killing civilians in response is never morally justified, drawing a parallel to US actions after 9/11.

Why It Matters

The interview landed in Israel like a grenade. For many Israelis, it was their first real exposure to the depth of the challenge Israel faces within the Republican Party, a challenge that has accelerated dramatically since the Iran war began, with the populist right adopting the narrative that Israel dragged the United States into the conflict.

Among voices critical of Israel on the American right, support for Israel is increasingly framed as submission to neoconservatives, donors, and globalists, while opposition is presented as evidence of independence, authenticity, and moral clarity. Carlson is the most prominent voice in that camp, and Tuesday night he delivered that message directly into Israeli living rooms. The Week

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