Tucker Carlson’s brother suggests Australia terror attack was a false flag operation, mocks victim

Online antisemitism monitors documented a surge in baseless accusations aimed at obscuring the reality of the attack, including claims that the event was staged or orchestrated by intelligence services.

By Dion J. Pierre, The Algemeiner

The brother of prominent right-wing pundit Tucker Carlson suggested on social media that Sunday’s terrorist attack that killed 15 people at a Jewish celebration in Australia was a false flag operation, mocking one of the more than 40 others who were injured during the mass shooting.

Two gunmen opened fire on the crowd gathering at Bondi Beach in Sydney to celebrate the first night of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, murdering a child, a rabbi, and a Holocaust survivor among a dozen other civilians.

Buckley Carlson took to social media to comment on the antisemitic massacre, insinuating that victims’ injuries were faked and key details were fabricated.

He reposed a comment which claimed that “Zionist networks and intelligence staged shooting incidents,” described the attack in Sydney as “theater,” and argued and that the terrorism will become pretext for new speech restrictions regarding antisemitism.

The reposted comment also suggested that human rights attorney Arsen Ostrovsky, who was shot in the head during the attack, fabricated his injuries for attention.

“When your ego betrays the Op,” Carlson posted. “‘Get out of the frame, Arsen!’”

“You really are a sick person,” Ostrovsky wrote back.

Carlson retorted, raising additional doubts regarding the legitimacy of the terrorist attack.

“Pretty facile for a ‘head shot’ ‘victim.’ Ambulance didn’t take your phone, before they did the intracranial surgery? Was that a 30.06 round?” Carlson said in response to Ostrovsky.

Carlson also repudiated center-right pundit James Lindsay after he called on followers to “condemn the Carlsons.”

Carlson then replied that James should ​”just condemn the lying” while posting a photo of a cover of a book referencing alleged “deception” by officers of Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency.

Within hours of the shooting, a wave of misinformation spread across fringe forums as well as major platforms such as X and Facebook.

Online antisemitism monitors documented a surge in baseless accusations aimed at obscuring the reality of the attack, including claims that the event was staged or orchestrated by intelligence services.

Misinformation experts have warned that false flag allegations, claims that real-world violent events are staged by governments or intelligence agencies, often proliferate after high-profile tragedies.

Carlson’s brother, Tucker, has sparked controversy over the past two years for spreading a relentless barrage of anti-Israel and antisemitic conspiracies on his popular podcast.

Carlson, a former Fox News host who now hosts a podcast, has questioned Hamas’s status as a terrorist group and hosted guests who have minimized historical atrocities, including the Holocaust, without pushing back against their claims.

He has falsely and repeatedly accused Israel of committing a “genocide” in Gaza, argued that the Jewish state oppresses Christians, and insinuated that Jews were responsible for killing Jesus.

Carlson has further suggested that Zionism is oppositional to “Western values” and that Israel’s policies are tantamount to “collective punishment.”

The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the official news agency of the state of Iran, has published articles highlighting Carlson’s comments.

Notably, during an appearance at a recent forum in Qatar, Carlson publicly announced that he would be purchasing a home in Doha.

The announcement drew backlash, with critics pointing out that Hamas leaders live in Qatar and that the country regularly uses slave labor.

Carlson’s prominence within the US conservative movement has provoked significant alarm, with many right-leaning Jews concerned that his influence could lead to greater levels of antisemitism within the Republican Party. US Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) has called on his party to repudiate Carlson.