US conservative commentator Tucker Carlson claimed that he and his staff were briefly detained by Israeli security staff at the Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday, February 18, shortly after he conducted an interview with Washington’s Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, according to a report by the Daily Mail.
Carlson travelled to Tel Aviv for a face-to-face discussion with Huckabee over Israel’s policies towards Christians. Carlson had questioned whether the US mission was sufficiently advocating for Christian communities, prompting Huckabee to invite him to visit and discuss the issue in person.
“People identifying themselves as airport security took our passports, pulled our executive producer aside, and demanded details about what we discussed with Mike Huckabee. It was strange. We’ve since left the country,” Calson told Daily Mail.
Carlson described the encounter as unusual but confirmed that his staff had since left the country.
Ahead of the meeting, Carlson had posted a photo on X from Ben Gurion Airport alongside his business partner Neil Patel, signalling his arrival in Israel.
Israeli authorities rejected the claim that Carlson had been detained. The Israeli Airports Authority said he underwent routine security procedures and was asked standard questions in a private setting to ensure discretion. Officials added that he was not delayed beyond normal checks.
According to the Daily Mail, an Israeli official said Carlson’s visit was brief by choice and that he received the same treatment as other travellers.
The US Embassy in Israel also endorsed Israel’s explanation of the incident. Huckabee wrote on X, “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.”
