The Lie

• Zionism is a threat to Western civilization because it denies the existence of the human soul and teaches that Jews are morally superior to other groups.

The Truth

• Zionism is simply the belief that the Land of Israel is the national home of the Jewish people. It has never taught that Jews are superior to others, nor has any version of Zionist ideology or Israeli culture denied the existence or value of the human soul.

Background

• On November 25, 2025, Tucker Carlson claimed on The Shawn Ryan Show that Zionism “doesn’t acknowledge the human soul” and is “a belief system that begins with the understanding that one group is morally superior to other groups.” 
• He further said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is the “main enemy” of Western civilization and claimed that Netanyahu admitted Israel is “fighting these people because of how they were born, because of their inherent evil.” (X)

Truth Explained

• Zionism does not advocate for the superiority of any group. When the Zionist movement was established in 1897, Zionism was defined as the goal “to create for the Jewish people a home in [the Land of Israel], secured by law.” No doctrine, platform, or school of Zionism has ever included racial, religious, or moral superiority.
• Zionism is rooted in Jewish teachings that affirm the divine soul of every human being. Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, the father of Religious Zionism and former Chief Rabbi of Israel, taught repeatedly that “the soul of every human being is a light of God,” that “the value of the life of every human being is immeasurable,” and that every nation has its own God-given spiritual mission. (Sefaria)
  
• Israeli law enshrines universal human dignity. Israel’s first Basic Law affirms “the value of the human being, the sanctity of his life, and his being a free person.” (Knesset)
  
• Israel’s founding document embraces universal equality. Israel’s Declaration of Independence promises full human rights to all people “irrespective of religion, race or sex.” (The Economist)
  
• Carlson’s defense of Islam is at odds with his claim about moral superiority. The Quran explicitly declares Islam “superior over all other religions” and instructs Muslims to fight Jews and Christians until they “feel themselves subdued.” Carlson’s assertion that Zionism—rather than Islamism—is the threat is inconsistent with his own stated views. (Quran)
  
• Netanyahu never said Israelis are fighting people because of “how they were born.” Netanyahu has never suggested Palestinians or Arabs are inherently evil. The closest reference to Carlson’s claim was a speech Netanyahu gave in October 2023 in which he referenced the Biblical command to remember Amalek—invoked specifically in the context of destroying Hamas after the October 7th massacre. (Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
• Some critics point to Isaiah 49:6, which describes Israel as “a light unto the nations,” as evidence of Zionist or Jewish supremacy. In fact, rabbinic sources interpret this passage as a mandate for the Jewish people to serve as a moral and spiritual example to other nations, guiding them as light illuminates a path. In a similar vein, President Trump has described America as “a light unto all nations,” emphasizing leadership through moral and civic example rather than through domination or claims of superiority. (Twitter)

Quotes

• “There are enemies of Western civilization. Who are these people? Are they the Muslims? Are they the Jews?…No, they’re not the Muslims, they’re not the Jews, they’re not the Blacks, they’re not whatever group you’re blaming. They’re any individual who doesn’t acknowledge the human soul. Period. That the rights begin and end with the individual, not the group. Therefore, an attack on Western civilization looks like this: it’s tribalism. It’s identity politics. It’s DEI. It’s whatever. It’s Zionism. It’s any belief system that begins with the understanding that one group is morally superior to other groups. We don’t think in terms of groups as Christians or Westerners. We think in terms of the individual…Netanyahu [says], ‘I’m a defender of Western civilization.’ No, you’re its enemy, of course. You’re literally its main enemy…The reason Netanyahu is an enemy of Western civilization is because he believes and has said out loud that ‘We’re fighting these people because of how they were born, because of their inherent evil. We don’t believe in that. We believe every person is inherently flawed but salvageable, because God made every person. Why are the Nazis bad? The Nazis are bad for that exact same reason.” — Tucker Carlson
• “So do not weaken and call for peace while you are superior.” — (Quran (47:39)
• “It is He Who has sent His Messenger (Muhammad) with guidance and the religion of truth (Islam), to make it superior over all religions even though the polytheists hate it.” — Quran (9:33)
• “Fight against those who believe not in Allah, nor in the Last Day, nor forbid that which has been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger and those who acknowledge not the religion of truth (Islam) among the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), until they pay the Jizyah [tax] with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.” — Quran (9:28)
• “’Remember what Amalek did to you.’ (Deuteronomy 25:17). We remember and we fight.” — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
• “And He said, ‘It is too light for you to be My servant, to establish the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the besieged of Israel, but I will make you a light of nations, so that My salvation shall be until the end of the earth.’” — Isaiah 49:6

Takeaway

• Zionism is a national movement rooted in human dignity, not supremacy. It affirms the divine value of all people, stands on philosophical and legal commitments to universal human rights, and has never taught that Jews are inherently superior. Claims to the contrary are political inventions with no grounding in Zionist thought, Jewish theology, Israeli law, or historical fact.