There's a new strain of antisemitism in America, and once again, it's coming from the "woke."
When it comes to the Jews, the far-right and far-left have more in common than they care to admit. Nowhere is the horseshoe theory more evident than in the rise of the "woke right," a group that, despite being ideologically opposed to the "woke left," mirrors them in their hostility toward Jews.
Figures like Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens exemplify this paradox. They use their massive platforms to brand themselves as truth-tellers fighting elite oppression, while routinely spreading misinformation and conspiracy theories, inflaming racial and cultural tensions, and undermining democratic norms. Both have faced credible accusations of antisemitism, amplifying dog whistles, conspiracy theories, and narratives that distort or diminish Jewish identity, trauma, and history. Now, bizarrely, both are defending the Islamic Republic of Iran under the banner of "fighting censorship in the media."
Though they identify with the isolationist "America First" camp, these "woke right" voices have now aligned themselves with a regime that calls for the death and destruction of America and just issued a fatwa on US President Donald Trump. The irony couldn't be more glaring.
Over the weekend, Tucker Carlson announced that he would be interviewing Iran's President, Masoud Pezeshkian. Carlson claims he aims to explore the regime's goals, war aspirations, and intentions. He defended the move by invoking Americans' constitutional right to know what their government is doing with their tax dollars, especially when it involves foreign conflict. Carlson also stated that he invited Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, an invitation Netanyahu will likely decline, knowing Carlson is not a journalist, but a conspiracy theorist with a clear anti-Israel agenda.
It is laughable to suggest that Pezeshkian represents the Iranian people or that this interview will uncover any meaningful truths. What Carlson is offering isn't a fact-finding mission; it's a propaganda stunt designed to whitewash a brutal regime and legitimize its handpicked mouthpiece.
The American public doesn't benefit from propaganda served up by the world's top state sponsor of terrorism masquerading as dialogue. Giving a platform to a representative of a fundamentalist regime – one known for lying, censorship, and violence – isn't transparency. It's giving tyranny a microphone and calling it journalism.
The Islamic Republic is a violent theocracy that thrives on fear and disinformation. It has imprisoned, tortured, and executed its own citizens, especially women's rights activists, ethnic minorities, and political dissidents, for demanding basic freedoms. Beyond its borders, it funds and arms terrorist proxies like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis, destabilizing regions and fueling endless conflict. It poses a global threat through its nuclear ambitions, cyber warfare, and open hostility toward the West, especially the US and Israel.
If Carlson were truly concerned about press freedom and censorship, he might mention that Iran ranks 176 out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index, according to Reporters Without Borders.
If he truly cared about giving Americans insight into the realities of life in Iran, he would be platforming those who've suffered under the regime, those who protested Mahsa Amini's killing, those tortured for chanting "Woman, Life, Freedom," those imprisoned for exposing gender apartheid, and the families of the 176 victims aboard Ukraine Flight PS752, which the regime shot down and then lied about for three days before admitting fault under international pressure.
But Carlson isn't interested in truth or journalistic integrity. He is, according to FARA filings, a paid mouthpiece for Qatar, a regime that coordinated his previous interview with the Qatari Prime Minister, complete with pre-approved talking points on Iran. His "America First" posturing isn't about patriotism; it's about blaming Jews for dragging America into conflicts while turning a blind eye to the very real threats the regime and its proxies pose to America.
By giving a global platform to the Islamic Republic's propaganda machine, Carlson isn't informing the American public; he's deceiving them. In doing so, he aligns himself with a growing faction of the so-called "woke right" who, like their far-left counterparts, repackage age-old antisemitic tropes as anti-elitism and isolationism.
At a time when antisemitism is surging and authoritarian regimes are emboldened, Carlson has chosen not to stand with victims of tyranny but to amplify their oppressors. That's not journalism. That's betrayal.
Real truth-tellers don't coddle tyranny. They confront and expose them.
