‘Israeli false flag’: Tucker Carlson pushes Oct. 7 conspiracy theory, accuses Netanyahu

American right-wing commentator Tucker Carlson marked the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre by promoting a conspiracy theory that the Hamas attack was an Israeli "false flag" operation, suggesting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu knew about the impending assault and allowed it to happen to preserve his political power. In a special episode released Wednesday with commentator Dave Smith, Carlson revived early speculation by the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, presenting his remarks as evidence that the October 7 attack, in which more than 1,200 Israeli civilians and soldiers were killed, had served Netanyahu's political interests. Carlson offered no evidence that Netanyahu knew of Hamas' plans in advance or ordered Israeli forces not to intervene. The approximately 95-minute episode was promoted with a description asserting that Kirk had suspected from the beginning that October 7 was an Israeli false flag, a term for an operation designed to appear as though it was carried out by another party. Carlson played a clip from an October 12, 2023, interview in which Kirk questioned the Israeli military's delayed response to the attack. Kirk described Israel as a heavily fortified country with extensive security capabilities and pointed to the political turmoil surrounding Netanyahu's government's judicial overhaul, which had sparked months of mass protests. He questioned how Hamas terrorists had been able to operate for hours before Israeli forces reached some of the massacre sites. "Was there a stand-down order?" Kirk asked twice. However, Kirk explicitly stopped short of accusing Netanyahu of deliberately allowing the massacre. He acknowledged that he did not know whether the Israeli prime minister had been aware of the attack in advance. His comments were made just five days after the massacre, when the circumstances surrounding Israel's intelligence and military failures were still unclear. Carlson nevertheless portrayed Kirk's questions as supporting the theory that Netanyahu had allowed the attack to proceed because it helped his government survive a political crisis. The commentator argued that the massacre had effectively saved Netanyahu's administration and enabled him to remain in office. Carlson's use of Kirk's remarks was particularly striking given the conservative activist's relationship with Israel. Kirk, who founded the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was murdered in September 2025 while appearing at a university in Utah. Following his death, Netanyahu described him as a "courageous friend of Israel," said they had spoken approximately two weeks earlier and revealed that he had invited Kirk to visit the country. Carlson argued during the episode that Netanyahu and others had effectively hijacked Kirk's memory by portraying him as an unwavering supporter of Israel. Yet the October 2023 interview Carlson cited also included Kirk's acknowledgment of the murder of women and children during the Hamas assault and his recognition of Israel's right to act against those responsible. Kirk's original remarks were speculative questions about the security failures surrounding October 7, rather than an assertion that Netanyahu had deliberately enabled the attack. Carlson also used the October 7 massacre to challenge the justification for American involvement in Israel's security. He claimed that he had been unable to identify a single American killed in the attack who did not also hold Israeli citizenship, suggesting that the deaths of dual nationals should not carry the same significance for the United States. He then turned to Edan Alexander, the former Hamas hostage who grew up in the United States and holds American citizenship. Carlson claimed Alexander was "not even technically American" and accused President Donald Trump of lying when he described the former hostage as an American citizen. Alexander's American citizenship is not negated by his connections to Israel or his Israeli citizenship. Throughout the episode, Carlson linked the October 7 massacre to subsequent wars in the region, criticized American military and financial assistance to Israel and attacked Netanyahu personally. He described the Israeli prime minister as a liar who believes Israeli blood is worth more than American blood. Carlson also claimed that between 190,000 and 200,000 people had been killed in Gaza, asserting that the figure was apparent from satellite imagery. He presented no evidence substantiating that estimate. The commentator further criticized what he described as the use of accusations of antisemitism to silence criticism of Israel. The October 7 episode was not Carlson's first confrontation with Israel or Jewish organizations. Last year, he hosted Nick Fuentes, a far-right activist known for antisemitic statements, on his program. In February, Carlson traveled to Ben Gurion Airport to interview U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Following the visit, Carlson alleged that he and members of his team had been detained and questioned by Israeli authorities. The Israel Airports Authority rejected his characterization of the incident, saying the visitors had been asked routine questions in a separate room in the VIP lounge to protect their privacy. During the same interview, Carlson made an unfounded allegation involving President Isaac Herzog and the private island owned by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. He subsequently apologized for the claim. Carlson has also generated controversy over comments about World War II. In an interview with a former British member of Parliament published last weekend, Carlson questioned whether Britain had been justified in fighting Nazi Germany. He suggested that Adolf Hitler's invasion of Poland had stemmed from a legitimate territorial dispute and argued that Britain had no reason to become involved. "Who cares if you were speaking German now?" Carlson asked the visibly astonished former lawmaker.