CNN’s Abby Phillip Clashes With Van Jones Over Israel’s Nuclear Weapons: ‘There’s Only One Power in the Middle East That Has a Nuke’

CNN host Abby Phillip clashed with CNN political commentator Van Jones on Tuesday evening after Jones appeared to suggest it was nobody’s business what Israel’s boundaries for using a nuclear weapon against Iran were.

“Here are some of the questions that Joaquin Castro is posing on this issue,” Phillip said during a CNN NewsNight discussion about Israel’s nuclear weapons:

What nuclear weapons capability does Israel have?

Has the administration received any assurances from Israel that nuclear weapons will not be used?

Has Israel communicated to the United States any nuclear doctrine, red lines, or thresholds for nuclear use in the context of the current conflict with Iran?

Has the administration assessed what circumstances could lead Israel to consider nuclear use? What contingency planning has the administration conducted for such a scenario?

Jones interrupted, “I’m asking — honest question — why? Has there been some rumor that Israel is going to nuke Iran?”

“There is a war between the United States, Israel, and Iran that is going on right now in the Middle East, and under those circumstances, that is actually different from what we’ve been experiencing for the last, you know, 40, 50 years,” replied Phillip. “And so under those circumstances, there’s only one power in the Middle East that has a nuke, and it’s Israel.”

She continued, “So the question is, what are the circumstances? What are the boundaries? Are there any boundaries? They don’t acknowledge that they have them, people know that they do, but are there any boundaries? I think that seems like a fair question to ask.”

Jones pulled a dismissive face at Phillip before asking, “Why?”

In March, Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations abruptly ended a press conference after being asked a question about Israel’s secretive nuclear weapons program. That same month, President Donald Trump shot down his AI czar David Sacks after Sacks suggested Israel could end up using a nuclear weapon against Iran.

Jones is widely considered to be one of the most vocal supporters of Israel on cable news and was placed at No. 9 on the Israel Allies Foundation’s Top 50 Christian Allies of Israel list in 2025.

In 2024, Jones was condemned on social media for comparing traditional Palestinian clothing to the Confederate flag, while in 2025, he apologized for turning “dead Gaza baby” into a punchline during an appearance on HBO’s Real Time with Bill Maher.

“Babies are dying every day in Gaza. Nobody should dispute that fact or make light of it in any way. To the people living in fear and burying family members every day, of all ages — I apologize,” said Jones in a statement following the backlash.

Responding to Jones’ apology at the time, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) wrote, “I’m glad Van Jones apologized for his sick joking about dead kids in Gaza. But the problem goes deeper: he spread Netanyahu propaganda that the mass killings of civilians in Gaza — including 20K+ kids — is Iranian fake news. It’s not the students and young people who are fooled. It’s Van Jones.”

Watch above via CNN.

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