Tucker Carlson sheds light on Christian-Muslim harmony in Palestine, Jordan

Tucker Carlson has taken his show to Jordan to speak with two prominent Christians about religious freedom in the kingdom, as well as in Jerusalem, located a mere 25 miles away in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. 

The episode was a learning curve for the conservative pundit, despite having hosted multiple guests in the US who described how Christians live under Israeli occupation, as well as in Muslim-majority countries. 

“Our king here in Jordan, King Abdullah, has donated a substantial amount of money to the repair of the Church of the Nativity and the Holy Sepulchre. And the same thing happened also, partially, with the Palestinian Authority,” the Anglican Archbishop of Jerusalem, Hosam Naoum, told Carlson.

Naoum is a Palestinian from Nazareth. He currently holds dual Israeli-Jordanian citizenship. 

“I think Americans watching this may be confused to hear that a Muslim king of Jordan is giving money to Christian holy sites,” Carlson responded. 

Because Jordan’s king has custodianship of the non-Jewish holy sites occupied by Israel in the West Bank – per an arrangement made official in 2013 – the kingdom helps fund restoration and humanitarian aid projects in the Holy Land. 

The richest Christian organisations in the US, however, send their money towards the construction of illegal Israeli settlements to further the Zionist Evangelical cause. 

“Would it be easier just to hand the custodianship over to the government that runs it, which is the Israeli government?” Carlson asked.

“No,” Naoum responded. 

Israelis, he said, regularly implement restrictions on worship for both Christians and Muslims.

“They are preventing Christians and pilgrims [from] celebrating Easter… And the claim is, according to the police there, for safety reasons,” Naoum said. 

“Have there been, in your lifetime, safety problems with Christians celebrating Easter in Jerusalem?” Carlson asked.

“Not to my knowledge.”

The archbishop did recount being “spat at… more than once” by Israelis, especially when he is wearing his cross and cossack. 

He added that some Jews can feel persecuted by seeing symbols of Christianity. Smaller extremist groups have gone further, he described.

“There’s vandalism of churches, there is spitting at clergy, there is doing nasty things to clergy,” Naoum told Carlson. 

“Do you face vandalism from Islamic groups in Jerusalem?” Carlson said.

“No, not to my knowledge. No,” Naoum replied. 

Integral part of culture

Saad Mouasher, a Christian Jordanian and chairman of the Jordan Ahli Bank, said Muslims and Christians in the region have coexisted in this part of the world for more than a thousand years. 

“Islam is very much an integral part of our culture as Christians here. Yeah, we feel very comfortable,” he said.

“As Christians?” Carlson asked.

“Absolutely.”

“We have been taught for 25 years, since 9/11, that Islam is inherently hostile to Christianity,” Carlson said. 

“I’ve never felt discriminated against as a Christian,” Mouasher replied. “We have constitutional rights as equal citizens.” 

The same cannot be said for Palestinians living under Israeli occupation, even those with Israeli citizenship, many of whom have long complained of being treated like second-class citizens.

While both Naoum and Mouasher steered away from any political criticism of the US, Israel, and Jordan, Carlson peppered the episode with his own assessment of how the US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has not taken up the issue of Christian ill-treatment with the Israeli government. 

Huckabee is an ordained Christian minister and an avowed Zionist.

Carlson slammed Huckabee for not intervening with the Israelis to help Naoum visit Al-Ahli Baptist Hospital in Gaza, which he had visited frequently prior to 7 October 2023. 

He also derided the ambassador for not stepping in on behalf of Palestinian Christians who were violently attacked by Israeli settlers. 

“What ambassador Huckabee is doing is shameful, and he’s gonna have to answer for it,” Carlson said. 

Not long after the episode was posted to YouTube on Wednesday, Huckabee took to X.

“Hey @TuckerCarlson instead of talking ABOUT me, why don’t you come talk TO me?  You seem to be generating a lot of heat about the Middle East. Why be afraid of the light?”

“Thanks for this,” Carlson replied on X.

“I’d love to. We’ll reach out to your office today to set up an interview. Much appreciated.”