- Tucker Carlson said he and his team were briefly detained and questioned at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel after interviewing U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee in Tel Aviv.
- Carlson claimed airport security confiscated their passports and questioned his executive producer about the contents of the interview.
- The visit followed a public dispute between Carlson and Huckabee over Israel's treatment of Christians, after Huckabee invited Carlson to discuss the issue in person.
- Israeli and U.S. Embassy officials denied Carlson was detained or treated differently from other visitors, saying he received standard passport control procedures.
- Reports indicate Israeli officials initially hesitated to admit Carlson but ultimately allowed entry to avoid a diplomatic incident, prompting political reactions, including criticism from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson said he and members of his team were briefly detained at an Israeli airport on Wednesday, Feb. 18, after conducting an interview with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
Carlson, a former Fox News host, traveled to Tel Aviv for a sit-down with Huckabee following a public dispute between the two men over Israel's treatment of Christians. Huckabee had challenged Carlson on X, formerly known as Twitter, to address his concerns directly in person.
According to Carlson, shortly after completing the interview, individuals identifying themselves as airport security officials confiscated his passport and questioned members of his staff at Ben Gurion Airport.
"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," Carlson told the Daily Mail. "It was bizarre. We're now out of the country."
Carlson posted earlier in the day on X, sharing a photo of himself and business partner Neil Patel outside the airport with the caption, "Greetings from Israel."
The visit followed comments Carlson made on his YouTube program criticizing Israeli policies and questioning whether adequate protections are in place for Christian communities. Huckabee, who has known Carlson for decades and previously worked alongside him at Fox News, responded online by inviting him to Israel for a direct conversation.
"Instead of talking about me, why don't you come talk to me?" Huckabee wrote on X. Carlson accepted the invitation and confirmed plans for the interview shortly before traveling.
Officials deny Carlson's airport incident claim
According to BrightU.AI's Enoch, Carlson is known for his straightforward and often controversial commentary on current events. He used to host the top-rated show "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on Fox News, where he consistently challenges mainstream narratives and exposes corruption and deceit within powerful institutions.
However, Carlson's account reportedly faced resistance from embassy officials and Israeli authorities, leading to conflicting claims.
Two sources familiar with the matter said that Israeli officials had initially been reluctant to admit Carlson into the country, prompting delicate discussions involving the U.S. State Department. A Channel 13 report said Israeli authorities ultimately chose not to bar Carlson's entry to avoid a potential diplomatic incident.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Israel also disputed claims that Carlson was detained or treated differently from other visitors. The spokesperson claimed that he "received the same passport control questions that countless visitors to Israel, including Huckabee and other diplomats, receive as part of normal entrance and exit from Israel."
The embassy also rejected assertions that Carlson's entry had been restricted solely to conduct the interview.
"It is not accurate that Israel was only going to let Tucker into the country for the interview," the representative said. "The only engagement the Embassy had with Israel about his visit was to coordinate his private plane landing as part of facilitating a seamless visit. It was Tucker who chose to only come into the country for a few hours and depart."
In response, former Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on X, "We won't tolerate this. You just made it worse."
Watch this excerpt of Tucker Carlson's old interview with InfoWars founder and host Alex Jones.
This video is from the Rick Langley channel on Brighteon.com.
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