EDITOR’S NOTE (Nick Stamatakis). Tucker Carlson claims he was detained by Israeli authorities at Ben-Gurion Airport after a brief visit to conduct an interview with U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, alleging that security personnel confiscated passports and questioned his team about the conversation before allowing them to leave. However, both the U.S. Embassy in Israel and Israeli airport officials have rejected Carlson’s characterization, saying he was not detained or interrogated but simply underwent routine passport control and security questions that are standard for visitors. The dispute has sparked debate online as the contrasting accounts circulate.
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Tucker Carlson ‘DETAINED’ in Israel: Journalist ‘dragged into interrogation room’ as explosive interview sparks diplomatic firestorm
Conservative podcasting titan Tucker Carlson said he and his staff were detained in Israel on Wednesday following an interview with Donald Trump‘s ambassador to the country.
The former Fox News host flew into Tel Aviv for a sit-down with Mike Huckabee, who challenged Carlson to speak to him directly following an online spat about the country’s treatment of Christians.
Carlson, who also frequently criticizes Israel for its military actions in Gaza, took Huckabee up on his offer.
But as critics and pro-Israel activists began piling on Carlson for purportedly not leaving the airport during his brief visit, he revealed that he was met with hostility in the Middle Eastern country.
Carlson exclusively told the Daily Mail that shortly after the interview, Israeli officials confiscated his passport and hauled one of his colleagues off to an interrogation room.
‘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.’
Prior to the interview, Carlson posted a photo on X of himself and his business partner, Neil Patel, in front of Ben Gurion airport on Wednesday with the caption: ‘Greetings from Israel.’
Tucker Carlson says he and his staff were detained at Ben Gurion airport and interrogated by Israeli officials on Wednesday following an interview with US Ambassador Mike Huckabee
Carlson frequently criticizes Israel for its military actions in Gaza and treatment of Christians
Huckabee, who has known Carlson for over three decades and previously worked with him at Fox News, invited Carlson to Israel for a discussion over their differences
Two sources familiar with the matter, however, told the Daily Mail that the Israeli government initially did not want to allow Carlson into the country, prompting a delicate negotiation involving the State Department.
In the end, the Israeli government decided not to bar Carlson from entering the country in order to avoid a ‘diplomatic incident,’ according to a Channel 13 report.
A spokesman for the US embassy in Israel denied that Carlson was detained and claimed 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.’
‘It is not accurate that Israel only was going to let Tucker into the country for the interview,’ the representative 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.’
The Daily Mail has contacted the White House and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office for comment.
Carlson accused Huckabee last week on his YouTube show of not ensuring proper protections for Christians in Israel.
Huckabee, who has known Carlson for more than three decades and previously worked with him at Fox News, responded by inviting him to Israel for a discussion.
‘Instead of talking about me, why don’t you come talk to me?’ Huckabee wrote on X. Carlson replied by welcoming the invitation, before noting that they were working on setting up the interview.
Israel’s popularity remains at an all-time low in the GOP among young Republican voters and Trump supporters.
The Carlson-Huckabee event was reportedly an attempt by the Trump administration to prevent debates surrounding Israel from breaking the GOP’s conservative coalition ahead of the midterms.
Carlson is a longtime supporter of Trump and ally of Vice President JD Vance
Carlson and his business partner Neil Patel at Ben Gurion airport on Wednesday
Trump urged Carlson and others within the GOP to ease off internal fights with Republicans over Israel, according to former Fox News anchor Melissa Francis.
‘Everybody’s looking for a way to turn down the temperature,’ Francis told the Jerusalem Post. ‘President Trump is telling everyone, including Tucker, “Let’s take this down.”‘
Carlson is a longtime ally of Vice President JD Vance and speaks with Trump on a range of issues, including foreign policy.
Last month, Carlson visited the White House twice and met with Trump in the Oval Office on at least one known occasion.
let me try a moderated version of my comment
While Greek and American media underplay the significants of the declaration the Patriarch of the Christian churches , which absolutely destroy the Heretic Evangelical Protestant Christian zionist faithful followers, Churches, ruling Parties and entire governments of America and Israel, and importantly, serve to send messafe to Muslim world and Middle East, that the Orthodox and Catholic clergy and followers of the Middle East .. refute American and Israeli Zionism, and make Evangelical Protestant Churches , Followers, and the Evangelical Protestant Christian Zionist Donald trump adminstration, ruling parties and government responsible for all the heinous crimes that have been committed against the muslim countries of the Middle East !
Greek Orthodox and Catholic Patriarchs and Church leaders of Jerusalem Claim “Evangelical Christian Zionism is a Damaging Ideology harming Christianity!
Huckabee said he couldn’t understand why “every one who takes on the moniker ‘Christian’ would not also be a Zionist. Personally I’m part of a “global and growing” evangelical tradition that believes the authority of Scripture and the faithfulness of God in keeping His covenants. That includes His covenant with Abraham and the Jewish people.
I can’t wait to see the Interview with Bible Toting Evangelical Baptist Zionist Minister and Republicam Party leader and U.S Ambassador to Israel ,who confirm that the new unholy alliance between Orthodox Greece , Cyprus , and Zionist Stated of Israel and America Israel, has only one objectve to serve the economic ,Political, Military ,Religious, and media interests to make America and Israeli Zionism first in the world , and make Greece and Cyprus colonial slaves to their wars! Hucklebee , who has been providing cover for the genocide in Gaza is already an Indictable war criminal by the ICC, in aiding and abetting in every way both financially , politically and Militarily to their crimes against the populist of Gaza, Palestine, Lebanon , Syria , Iraq, and Now Iran! How bad is it “… Today , the Israeli foreign Minister of Israel calls Turkey the New Iran , because they have a problem with Jewish Zionist regime of Israel in committing geneocide in Gaza etc etc ! All the enemies of Israel and America are Greeces and Cyprus enemies, which now includes Russia , China, Venezuela and all the Bric countries , and as a matter of Fact the entire world!.
Mike Huckabee .. he is clearly the face of Americana !
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God bless Tucker Carlson for exposing so much we don’t get in American media.
But he needs to be careful!