Sachs and Carlson: Extremists in Israel may destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque to build the Third Temple

American economist Jeffrey Sachs, in a conversation with journalist Tucker Carlson, expressed fears that extremist circles in the Israeli government may go to the destruction of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem for the construction of the Third Temple. According to Sachs, such a move would be “suicidal” for the country, but he characterized the current Israeli leadership as “the most lawless in the world,” acting with complete impunity. A full translation of their conversation was published on the Telegram channel “Of Church and People.”

The discussion began with a question from Tucker Carlson, who noted that there is “tremendous work” underway in the United States to help rebuild the Jerusalem temple, funded by Christian foundations, among others. The journalist bluntly asked his interlocutor if he was afraid that “the mosque might be blown up to make way for the Third Temple,” and what the consequences might be.

Jeffrey Sachs responded by saying that today’s Israel is a “rogue state on the entire planet” that “brazenly violates every possible limit.” He emphasized that the Third Temple movement is part of Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition, which includes people “who have no limits at all.” As an example, Sachs cited their public statements about wanting to “make Gaza completely uninhabitable,” which he saw as ethnic cleansing or genocide.

Sachs believes that the realization of such a project would be a disaster for Israel. “Would it benefit Israel? No. It would be suicidal. But fanaticism can be suicidal, and fanaticism, by the way, there is a lot there,” the economist noted. At the end of the conversation, the interlocutors drew a historical parallel with the ancient fanatics (Zealots), who rebelled against the Roman Empire, which eventually led to self-destruction, glorifying “mass suicide in a place called Masada”.

Recall that on August 3, 2025, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and a group of Knesset deputies stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and staged a provocation on the premises of the structure. Palestinian representatives claim that the Israeli officials performed Talmudic rituals in the mosque.