Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson has alleged that he was interrogated by Israeli officials during a visit to the nation on Wednesday.
Carlson traveled to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv to conduct an interview with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, but after the interview concluded, he was allegedly harassed by Israeli security officials.
“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,” he told the Daily Mail. “It was bizarre. We’re now out of the country.”
Carlson posted the following photo to his X social media account right before his interview with Huckabee and subsequent interrogation at the hands of Israeli security forces:
Greetings from Israel. pic.twitter.com/1uBWvqBNST
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) February 18, 2026
Two anonymous sources alleged to the Daily Mail that the interrogation was prompted by the Israeli government not wanting Carlson to enter the country.
This in turn forced “a delicate negotiation involving the [U.S.] State Department.”
“In the end, the Israeli government decided not to bar Carlson from entering the country in order to avoid a ‘diplomatic incident,'” the Daily Mail reported.
However, an official spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Israel vehemently denied Carlson’s allegations and asserted that he’d “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.”
“It is not accurate that Israel was only 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 as any visitors to Israel.”
In a tweet posted Wednesday afternoon, Huckabee alleged that what the Embassy had said about everyone having to deal with the “same passport control questions” was indeed true:
Thanks @EFischberger for a more accurate report. 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. https://t.co/UbblLiznMO
— Ambassador Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) February 18, 2026
The Israeli Airports Authority has also disputed Carlson’s version of events.
“Contrary to the reports, Tucker Carlson and his entourage were not detained, delayed, or interrogated,” the entity said in a social media statement. “Mr. Carlson and his party were politely asked a few routine questions, in accordance with standard procedures applied to many travelers.”
“The conversation took place in a separate room within the VIP lounge solely to protect their privacy and to avoid conducting such a discussion in public. No unusual incident occurred, and the Israel Airports Authority firmly rejects any other claims,” the statement continued.
Israeli Airports Authority:
Contrary to the reports, Tucker Carlson and his entourage were not detained, delayed, or interrogated.
Mr. Carlson and his party were politely asked a few routine questions, in accordance with standard procedures applied to many travelers.
The…— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) February 18, 2026
This incident also attracted the attention of former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, who called Carlson “chickensh-t” in a tweet also published Wednesday afternoon.
“Tucker Carlson is a chickensh-t,” he wrote. “The guy who’s been spouting lies about Israel for the past two years, landed today at Ben Gurion airport, took a quick picture in the logistics zone, tweeted it to pretend he’s actually IN Israel (so he can later claim that he’s a serious reporter who toured Israel), 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.”
“Next time he talks about Israel as if he’s some expert, just remember this guy is a phony!” he added.
The interview between Carlson and Huckabee came after the two recently feuded on social media.
“The interview followed a public spat between the pair online after Carlson slammed Israel’s ‘shocking’ treatment of Christians and accused Huckabee of failing to ensure protections for Christians who face attacks from Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank and in Jerusalem,” according to Middle East Eye.
In response, Huckabee invited Carlson to Israel for an interview.
“Instead of talking about me, why don’t you come talk to me?” the ambassador wrote on X.
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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