Tucker Carlson claims detention at Israeli airport; officials deny it

Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson claimed Wednesday that Israeli airport security detained him and members of his team at Ben Gurion International Airport following an interview with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee — a claim flatly denied by Israeli authorities, the U.S. Embassy and Huckabee himself.

Mr. Carlson told the Daily Mail that men identifying themselves as airport security took his team’s passports and pulled his executive producer into a separate room for questioning after the interview concluded.

“Men who identified themselves as airport security took our passports, hauled our executive producer into a side room and then demanded to know what we spoke to Ambassador Huckabee about,” Mr. Carlson told the Daily Mail. “It was bizarre. We’re now out of the country.”

According to the Jerusalem Post, Mr. Carlson never left Ben Gurion Airport during his visit, conducting the interview with Mr. Huckabee at the airport itself. Before the interview, Mr. Carlson posted a photo on X from the airport with business partner Neil Patel, writing, “Greetings from Israel.”

The Daily Mail also reported that two sources familiar with the matter said the Israeli government initially did not want to allow Mr. Carlson into the country, prompting negotiations involving the State Department. Israel ultimately permitted the visit, according to a Channel 13 report, in order to avoid a “diplomatic incident.”

The Israel Airports Authority issued a statement firmly denying the claims, saying Mr. Carlson and his entourage “were not detained, delayed, or interrogated.” The authority said Mr. Carlson’s party “were politely asked a few routine questions, in accordance with standard procedures applied to many travelers” and that the conversation took place in a separate room in the VIP lounge “solely to protect their privacy.”

Mr. Huckabee also pushed back on the characterization, writing on X that “EVERYONE who comes in/out of Israel (every country for that matter) has passports checked & routinely asked security questions. Even ME going in/out with Diplomatic Passport & Diplomatic Visa.”

A U.S. Embassy spokesperson told the Daily Mail that Mr. Carlson “received the same passport control questions that countless visitors to Israel, including Ambassador Huckabee and other diplomats, receive as part of normal entrance and exit from Israel.”

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett was sharper in his response, writing on X that Mr. Carlson “didn’t even step foot in country, then made up a story that he’s being supposedly harassed by our security (didn’t happen), whined about it, got back into the private jet and flew off.”

The interview came after a public dispute between Mr. Carlson and Mr. Huckabee over the treatment of Christians in Israel. Mr. Carlson had criticized what he called Israel’s “shocking” treatment of Christians and accused Mr. Huckabee of failing to secure protections for Christians facing harassment in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem. Mr. Huckabee responded on social media, challenging Mr. Carlson to speak with him directly. Mr. Carlson accepted.

Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene came to Mr. Carlson’s defense following the incident, posting on X: “American citizen and journalist Tucker Carlson detained in Israel…We won’t tolerate this. You just made it worse.”

Former Fox host Melissa Francis, who helped arrange the meeting and was present for the interview, told The Times of Israel the conversation was “emotional” and “professional,” adding that Mr. Huckabee “called him out” and “corrected him.” She also said Mr. Carlson told her that President Trump had asked him to ease the infighting within the Republican Party over Israel. According to Ms. Francis, Mr. Carlson said he had reached out to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to arrange a meeting but never received a response.

Mr. Huckabee had invited Mr. Carlson to remain in Israel for several days, but Mr. Carlson departed after the interview.