Pro-Israeli group uses public shaming to punish Israel’s critics and claims to have caused 400 people to lose jobs
By Elis Gjevori
Middle East Eye
Published date: 22 December 2025 15:57 GMT | Last update: 21 hours 56 mins ago
A US pro-Israel advocacy group has named political commentator and journalist Tucker Carlson as its “Antisemite of the Year”, citing his opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
StopAntisemitism announced the designation on Sunday, accusing Carlson of hostility towards Israel after he used his podcast and media appearances to criticise the war and the political influence of pro-Israel lobbying groups in Washington.
Carlson, whose online platform reaches millions, has become one of the most prominent rightwing voices denouncing Israel’s grip on US politics, particularly since Tel Aviv launched its war on Gaza on 7 October 2023.
He has singled out the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), calling its influence “an ongoing humiliation ritual” for American lawmakers and the country, and has warned that the US is complicit in Israel’s war.
He has also accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, of openly boasting about his leverage over US leaders.
“[Netanyahu] is running around, this is a fact…, the Middle East, his region and his own country and telling people point blank, just stating it, ‘I control the United States. I control Donald Trump,’” Carlson said in September during an interview with journalist Glenn Greenwald.
Carlson has further criticised Christian Zionism, describing it as a major force shaping unconditional US backing for Israel.
“The single biggest threat to Christianity in this country [US] is Christian Zionism,” he said, accusing its adherents of treating Israel’s founding and military dominance as a biblical mandate.
“They’re not Christians; they’re heretics,” he added.
Punishing critics of Israel
StopAntisemitism has claimed Carlson targeted prominent pro-Israel commentator Ben Shapiro, for prioritising Israel while the United States faces deepening domestic crises.
Steve Bannon, former White House strategist for US President Donald Trump who remains a closy ally, launched scathing criticism of Shapiro over the weekend at a major conservative convention.
“Ben Shapiro is like a cancer, and that cancer spreads,” Bannon declared to cheers from the crowd calling him a “Israel First” political pundit.
Tucker Carlson visits Gaza refugees, accuses
Israel of murdering children
StopAntisemitism executive director, Liora Reznichenko, has been explicit about its strategy aganst Israel’s critics.
Speaking at a Jerusalem Post conference on Capitol Hill in December, she argued that punishing critics of Israel is an effective way to combat antisemitism.
“The results speak for themselves,” she said. “We will shine a light on you that, thanks to Google and SEO, will follow you for the rest of your life.”
“When you look for a job, when you look for a spouse, when you look for a nanny, when you look for anything, our work will always be documented,” she added.
Reznichenko has claimed responsibility for at least 400 people losing their jobs as a result of the group’s online campaigns, which have targeted academics, activists and media figures.
Among those that Reznichenko has gone after is children’s educator Rachel Griffin Accurso, known to millions as Ms Rachel. The group accused her of antisemitism after she shared content highlighting the suffering of Palestinian children under Israel’s bombardment and siege of Gaza.
Israel has killed at least 20,000 children in Gaza, and the besieged enclave has the highest number of child amputees per capita, according to the International Rescue Committee.
StopAntisemitism has repeatedly attacked Accurso for posting images of starving children and amputees to her audience of more than 20 million followers. It has even urged US Attorney General Pam Bondi to investigate her for alleged foreign funding, without presenting any evidence.
In contrast, Glamour magazine named Accurso one of its 2025 “Women of the Year” for her work in early childhood education and advocacy for children affected by war worldwide.