On April 12, 2026, during an appearance on BBC’s “Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg,” Tucker Carlson claimed that the United Kingdom is not sovereign because it is controlled by Israel. The proof, he said, is that Britons can be arrested for criticizing the Jewish state.

Tucker went further, declaring that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer—along with President Donald Trump—is a enslaved by Israel.

“Keir Starmer is every bit as enslaved as Donald Trump is,” he said. “It is illegal, it is a crime for which you can be arrested in Britain right now: criticizing Israel. If you say you’re for Palestine Action, you can be arrested.”

Criticism of Israel Is Not Illegal — Britain Is Fiercely Anti-Israel

It is not illegal to criticize Israel in the United Kingdom. In fact, Britain stands as one of the most virulently anti-Israel nations in the Western world. Vast numbers of Britons openly describe themselves as anti-Israel, including 21% of young Britons who believe Israel should not exist. Millions have flooded the UK’s streets in protests against Israel since the October 7, 2023 Hamas massacre of Israelis. These rallies routinely descend into raw antisemitism and brazen pro-Hamas spectacles, complete with false accusations of “genocide” in Gaza — a smear that has been repeatedly and thoroughly debunked.

British police have often sided with the anti-Israel mobs, sometimes even banning Jews from the area. Dozens of anti-Israel groups operate freely across the country. Most have never faced any restrictions.

The Palestine Action Lie

Tucker singled out “Palestine Action” as proof of criminalized speech. The truth is far different. The group was designated a terrorist organization — not for criticizing Israel, but because its activists committed terrorism. In June 2025, they broke into a Royal Air Force base, vandalized two military aircraft, and inflicted roughly £7 million ($9.3 million) in damage — all in protest of Britain’s support for Israel.

Even then, the ban did not last. In February 2026 — two months before Tucker’s interview — the UK High Court ruled the terror designation of Palestine Action “unlawful.” A country supposedly under Israel’s thumb would never have allowed such a court victory.

More Proof Israel Does Not Control Britain

In September 2025, the British government formally recognized a “State of Palestine” despite furious objections from Israel. That single decision alone destroys any fantasy of Israeli control. A puppet state would not defy its supposed master so openly.

The Real Control Problem: Islamization of Britain

If banning or punishing criticism is the test for who really pulls the strings, then the evidence overwhelmingly points to Islamic influence — not Israel.

Britons have been arrested and prosecuted for “offending” Islam under hate crime laws—even for posting online memes that offend Islam. One man was charged for “intent to cause against the religious institution of Islam harassment, alarm or distress.” 

In March 2026, the government cemented a broad definition of “anti-Muslim hostility” that includes “prejudicial stereotyping” of Muslims — effectively creating a de facto blasphemy law shielding Islam from scrutiny.

The Islamization of the UK is blatant and accelerating:

• As many as 85 Sharia courts operate across Britain, making it the Western world’s unofficial capital of Islamic law.
• “Mohammed” has been the top boys’ name in England for more than eight straight years.
• Britain controls about 85% of Europe’s Islamic banking assets, with at least five fully Sharia-compliant banks.
• London’s Muslim mayor, Sadiq Khan, has openly promoted mosque attendance and Islamic practices.
• Palestinian flags fly freely while British flags are torn down.
• Muslim offenders have received lighter sentences because of their religion.
• Police deliberately covered up horrific grooming gang scandals involving Muslim perpetrators for years, terrified of being called “Islamophobic.”

These trends represent a profound erosion of British sovereignty and culture under the pressure of mass migration and institutional fear of Muslim backlash.

Takeaway

Tucker Carlson’s rant exposes far more about his own pathological fixation on Israel than it does about British reality. Obsessed with painting Jews and the Jewish state as the secret masters of the West, Tucker peddles easily debunked conspiracy nonsense while willfully ignoring the glaring, well-documented takeover of British institutions by Islamic influence. His selective outrage — screaming “Israel controls Britain” while Britain recognizes Palestine, hosts endless anti-Israel hate marches, and bends over backward to appease Muslim demands — reveals a tiresome, irrational grudge that borders on obsession. Tucker’s Israel derangement syndrome is on full, embarrassing display.

Sources

BBC, YouGov, Wikipedia, Middle East Eye, The Telegraph, Times of Israel, Reuters, The Spectator, 7News Australia, British Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Legal Priority, GB News, The City UK, Daily Mail, Daily Mail, Daily Mail