Russian Orthodox nun Mother Agapia Stephanopoulos’ appearance on the conservative Tucker Carlson Show has received widespread praise for exposing the experience of Palestinian Christians living under Israeli occupation and the war on Gaza.
The Monday episode, titled “Here’s What It’s Really Like to Live as a Christian in the Holy Land”, had around 12 million views by the time of writing.
Mother Stephanopoulos, who has lived in the Palestinian town of Bethany in the occupied West Bank since 1996, was among several pro-Palestinian guests featured on the former Fox News host’s programme.
Alongside her accounts of discrimination faced by Palestinians, Carlson devoted much of the interview to exploring Christian Zionism – a belief by some that Jews must return to the Holy Land to trigger the “second coming” of Christ.
In the interview, Mother Stephanopoulos detailed Israel’s stealing of Christian land, the mission of “Greater Israel”, and the persecution of Christians at the hands of Israel, among many other topics.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on
Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
On social media, many expressed their near disbelief that a major American media outlet gave a platform to a Christian Palestinian point of view, and that the person promoting this topic was Carlson.
I listened to this amazing interview with Mother Agapia. I can hardly believe that a major American media outlet actually gave a platform to a Palestinian Christian point of view. Zionists have done their work of preventing western Christians from hearing the voices of their… https://t.co/JwnxOd97U9
— susan abulhawa | سوزان ابو الهوى (@susanabulhawa) August 12, 2025
While detailing Israel’s seizure of Christian lands, Mother Stephanopoulos said, “We have to battle AIPAC and Christian Zionists, with the Christians standing up and saying ‘not in my name’.”
“There has always been resistance in Palestine, in the form of people fighting for their land. Israel keeps taking over the land little by little, confiscating land and building the settlements, and strangling the life of anybody living there,” she added.
Her ideas found widespread resonance with many Christians on social media, with one user saying that “your faith is being hijacked and used against you”, hinting that the interview was eye-opening for many.
i can’t believe i’m pushing a tucker carlson video but this is an extremely important interview. especially if you are an american christian. your faith is being hijacked and used against you. https://t.co/IBNMaCp6Nl
— abdul 🌌📷 (@Advil) August 12, 2025
One person with seemingly MAGA slogans on his X profile, such as “America First”, thanked Mother Stephanopoulos for “speaking the truth about what is happening to Christians under Israel’s terror”.
Another social media user asked in disbelief, “How are we at a point when Tucker Carlson is to the far left of CBC News and CTVNews?” urging everyone to share the interview “with anyone you know who identifies as Christian and still supports Israel”.
One person added that “Ted Cruz and so-called ‘Christian Zionists’ do not speak for true Christianity.” Texas Senator Ted Cruz was mentioned by Carlson and Mother Stephanopoulos during the interview, when Carlson asked, “Where does Ted Cruz stand in all of this?”
#BREAKING
✡️ CHRISTIAN ZIONISM EXPOSED: HERESY CONDEMNED BY CHURCH
✝️ ❌ Ted Cruz and so-called “Christian Zionists” do not speak for true Christianity. Their belief in the rapture and a “1,000-year kingdom” was condemned as heresy in 381 AD, Mother Agapia told Tucker Carlson.… pic.twitter.com/9x4Y9XAsQ0
— ❀ N ✿ (@8zal) August 12, 2025
When talking about the churches in Palestine getting bombed, Carlson asked, “How did a Christian church get bombed?” Mother Stephanopoulos responded, “Because it is part of Palestine, it’s the Palestinians’.”
In July, an Israeli bombing of the only Catholic church in the Gaza Strip killed two women and wounded other Palestinians, including a pastor.
The Greek Orthodox Church of Saint Porphyrius in Gaza was damaged during a deadly Israeli air strike on the adjacent 141-year-old Ahli Baptist Hospital, the oldest hospital in the strip.
Palestinian Christians account for as much as 10 percent of the global Palestinian population, with most belonging to the Greek Orthodox or Catholic faiths.
More than 100,000 live in Israel, while about 45,000 reside in the occupied West Bank, where they often face violence from Israeli settlers and soldiers. In Gaza, the community numbers just over 1,000, many of whom are unable to access their holy sites because of Israel’s ongoing war on the enclave.
Over 61,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza since it erupted in October 2023.
