US Senator Cruz warns Evangelicals: 'The Church is asleep' as anti-Israel voices rise on the right

Something unusual is happening inside the conservative movement right now, and sadly, the Church as well. Senator Ted Cruz thinks many Christians haven’t fully realized it yet. 

In my sit-down interview with him Wednesday afternoon in his Senate office, Cruz delivered a stark warning about what he sees as a growing battle inside the Republican coalition – one centered on Israel, antisemitism, and the role of evangelical Christians. 

According to Cruz, one of the central figures in that fight is Tucker Carlson. “I will tell you, the target of this operation is you and me,” Cruz said during the interview. “It is evangelical Christians.” 

Cruz believes a growing online movement – led in part by Carlson and amplified by influential digital voices – is increasingly hostile toward Christian Zionists and the longstanding evangelical support for Israel. He said many church leaders don’t yet understand what’s happening. 

More on that shortly. 

I asked Cruz about his very public criticism of Carlson and whether Republicans should be more vocal about confronting him. 

“You’ve been very outspoken, obviously, about Tucker Carlson. He’s been outspoken about you, for sure,” I told Cruz. “You say you’re going to take him on directly. I want to know what that looks like specifically. But more than that, you’re calling out Republicans overall to say, it’s time to say his name. Let me ask you a bit of an uncomfortable question. J.D. Vance is a good friend of Tucker Carlson. I got the friendship part of it, but he has not talked about this. Do you think he should?” 

Cruz responded by invoking one of the most famous moments in modern conservative politics. “Look, everyone’s going to have to decide where they stand,” Cruz said. Ronald Reagan in 1964 gave a very famous speech, a time for choosing and I think this is a time for choosing.” 

JUST IN: In an exclusive interview with CBN News, Senator Ted Cruz Says Tucker Carlson is specifically targeting evangelical Christians and believes GOP Politicians need to speak out against his venomous ideology. When asked if that includes Vice President JD Vance who is good… pic.twitter.com/uUqZbdcmQ9

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Cruz continued by pointing out what he believes is a cautionary tale from the left. “I will say a decade ago, when anti-Semitism began rising in the left, the Democrat leadership did nothing,” Cruz said. “They looked the other way, and it’s consumed their party.” 

Cruz doesn’t want republicans to make that same mistake. “In the last year and a half, I have seen more anti-Semitism on the right than at any point in my life and it is dangerous and it risks consuming our party....I don’t want us to make the same mistake Democrat leaders made a decade ago of just to look the other way and to be silent.” 

Cruz made clear he believes Carlson plays a central role in amplifying those antisemitic voices. “Tucker Carlson is the most vocal proponent of it, but there are a host of influencers who are online who have very loud voices,” Cruz said. 

What worries him most, however, is who is hearing those voices. “The danger is that they’re being heard, especially by young people, by teenagers and 20-somethings,” Cruz said. “And you are seeing views change.” 

That generational shift is where Cruz says evangelical Christians come into the crosshairs and most alarming of all, its' started to happen inside the church. “I am very, very concerned the church is asleep,” Cruz said. 

Cruz says many pastors simply aren’t seeing the shift taking place online. "A lot of pastors are older. A lot of pastors are in their 50s or 60s or 70s or 80s.” Cruz says pastors should start asking younger members of their congregations what they’re hearing. “Talk to the kids in your church,” Cruz said. “Talk to the teenagers. Talk to the 20-somethings.” 

Because in Cruz’s view, something significant is happening beneath the surface. "The numbers – evangelicals turning on Israel, it is happening,” Cruz said. 

There is no doubt that the younger generation is watching a swath of far-right influencers that include Nick Fuentes, Candace Owens , and Carlson. As for Tucker, he’s made it very personal. “Tucker Carlson has said there is nobody he hates more on planet Earth than Christian Zionists,” Cruz said. “Any he names specifically me and Mike Huckabee.” 

“I think it’s unfortunate that I am the person he says he hates most on Earth,” Cruz said. But he believes the dispute ultimately comes down to two issues: faith and Israel. 

“Now, why does he hate me?” Cruz said. “He hates me, number one, because I’m a Christian and that is my faith and I’m not going to run away from it or apologize for it. But he hates me number two, because I’m a Zionist.” 

Cruz then took a moment to explain what he believes the word “Zionist” actually means – something he says is often distorted online. “Does it mean that America must obey the orders of the Prime Minister of Israel? No. That’s a stupid strawman that the people online create. 

“To be a Zionist is very simple,” Cruz continued. “It means you believe the nation of Israel should exist...Should there be a nation of Israel or not?” Cruz framed the debate in stark terms. “The people who denounce Zionists want to see Israel driven into the sea."

He also pointed to the broader global landscape. “There are 50 Muslim nations in the world,” Cruz said. “There’s one Jewish nation. I don’t think it’s unreasonable for the Jews to have one homeland when there were 50 Muslim nations,” he continued. “And I don’t think it’s unreasonable for the Muslims to have homelands as well.” 

But Cruz believes critics of Israel go further. “The Tuckers of the world argue instead of 50 Muslim nations, there should be 51,” Cruz said. “And they should remove the Jews from Israel because they have no right to have a nation. I think that is an extreme position.” 

Visit CBN News for more clips from the interview with Senator Cruz.