U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. forcefully defended Israel during a television interview, rejecting accusations that the Jewish state is carrying out genocide in Gaza and contending that the true destruction of religious communities has occurred elsewhere throughout the Middle East.

Speaking with Jesse Watters on Fox News, Kennedy argued that demographic realities undermine claims that Israel is attempting to eradicate the Palestinian population.

“If Israel wanted to commit a genocide against Palestinians, they could do it in a minute,” Kennedy said. “It’s doing the opposite. Palestinian population is growing enormously around Israel. In Israel, there were 150,000 Palestinians in 1948. Today, there’s almost two million; 20% of the population.”

Kennedy also pointed to the disappearance of Jewish communities from neighboring countries and the shrinking Christian population in Gaza as evidence that persecution has been directed elsewhere in the region.

He noted that there are “no Jews in Jordan” and “no Jews in Gaza,” while arguing that Gaza’s Christian community has also diminished significantly over time.

“If you want to see where a real genocide is happening, it’s not in Israel,” Kennedy said. “It’s happening in all the nations around it.”

His remarks come as international debate continues over Israel’s military operations in Gaza and as discussions proceed regarding the Board of Peace’s reconstruction initiative and efforts aimed at deradicalization in the territory.

The interview represented one of Kennedy’s strongest public endorsements of Israel since joining President Donald Trump’s administration.

US Secretary of Health RFK Jr.:

If Israel wanted to commit a genocide against Palestinians, they could do it in a minute. That's doing the opposite. The Palestinian population is growing enormously around Israel.

If you want to see what a real genocide is, it's not happening in… pic.twitter.com/i4tAUgsNoU

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) June 30, 2026