Overview
- Tucker Carlson alleged that Chabad is driving the war with Iran and seeks to destroy Al-Aqsa to rebuild a Third Temple, pointing to images of IDF uniform patches.
- Chabad representatives condemned the claims as a slanderous, dangerous blood libel, noting mainstream Jewish theology views any Temple rebuilding as a future messianic event.
- Journalists traced the cited patches to Temple Mount activist networks and the Temple Institute’s posts from 2024, with no organizational link to Chabad.
- Candace Owens amplified the narrative on X with unsubstantiated warnings about Chabad locations, tunnels and alleged plots, further inflaming online rhetoric.
- The backlash featured Bill Ackman’s public warning about potential violence and an NYPD pledge to increase patrols at Jewish sites, while activists reported a surge of donations to Chabad centers.