American media figure Tucker Carlson Wednesday said he was detained at Ben Gurion Airport on Wednesday following an interview with US Ambassador to "Israel" Mike Huckabee, in what he described as a hostile encounter with airport authorities.
Carlson did not leave the airport compound during his visit and departed around 3 pm, concluding a trip that lasted only a few hours.
Carlson says he was questioned at Ben Gurion Airport
According to Carlson, the incident occurred shortly after he completed a recorded interview with Huckabee inside 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 had earlier posted a photo on X alongside his business partner, Neil Patel, in front of the airport with the caption: “Greetings from Israel.”
Two sources familiar with the matter told The Daily Mail that the Israeli government initially did not want to allow Carlson into the country, prompting discussions involving the US State Department. According to a Channel 13 report, authorities ultimately allowed his entry to avoid what was described as a potential “diplomatic incident.”
US embassy denies detention claims
A spokesperson for the US embassy in "Israel" denied that Carlson had been detained.
He “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,” the spokesperson said.
“It is not accurate that Israel only was going to let Tucker into the country for the interview,” the spokesperson added. “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. And Tucker received the same positive treatment of any visitors to Israel.”
Interview focused on treatment of Christians
The visit followed a public exchange between Carlson and Huckabee earlier in February after Carlson released an episode titled “Persecution of Christians,” filmed at the baptism site on the Jordan River.
The episode included interviews with Anglican Archbishop Hosam Naoum and a Jordanian Christian businessman.
During the program, Carlson alleged that Israel mistreats Christians and claimed that US aid helps fund what he described as persecution.
In a separate episode of The Tucker Carlson Show, Mother Agapia Stephanopoulos detailed what she described as Israeli violence targeting Palestinian Christians, recounting incidents she said took place in Beit Lahm and other areas. Her testimony included allegations that civilians, including children and a deaf-mute man, were shot, emphasizing that the impact of occupation extends to all Palestinians regardless of faith.
Huckabee responded on X on February 5, inviting Carlson to meet face-to-face, an invitation that resulted in the airport interview.
Political tensions within US conservative circles
The incident comes amid growing debate within US conservative politics regarding support for "Israel."
Carlson has increasingly positioned himself as a prominent critic of US policy toward "Israel" and of “Christian Zionism," the belief that supporting the establishment and continuation of Israel is part of Christian faith.
Carlson’s criticism of US support for "Israel" has extended beyond policy disagreements to public confrontations with prominent conservative figures.
In an interview with Piers Morgan on The Tucker Carlson Show, Carlson criticized commentator Ben Shapiro over his defense of "Israel’s" war on Gaza, accusing him of “bragging about” the “intentional killing of civilians.”
During the exchange, Morgan argued that such actions could be justified “if there’s a moral right behind you” and “if it threatens the entire world.” Carlson responded, “To intentionally kill noncombatants, women, and children, I think we can say that’s wrong. In fact, I thought that was the thing we were fighting against.”
His stance has drawn criticism from traditional Republicans and pro-Israel conservatives.
By contrast, Huckabee, a close ally of US President Donald Trump, holds the opposite position. The US Senate confirmed his appointment as ambassador to "Israel" in 2025, after which he presented his credentials to Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
The Carlson-Huckabee interview reportedly came as the Trump administration sought to prevent internal Republican divisions over "Israel" from widening ahead of upcoming midterm elections.
Carlson, a longtime ally of Vice President JD Vance, has remained influential within conservative media circles and has met with President Trump on multiple occasions in recent months, including visits to the White House last month.
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