Tucker Carlson Claims Detention In Israel After Interview

On February 18, 2026, conservative commentator Tucker Carlson, long known for his critical stance on U.S. foreign policy and Israel, found himself at the center of an international stir after claiming he was detained by Israeli authorities at Ben-Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. The incident unfolded just after Carlson conducted a high-profile interview with U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee—a meeting that, by all accounts, was as charged as it was significant for both American and Israeli political circles. According to Carlson, the trouble began shortly after the interview. "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. It was bizarre. We’re now out of the country," he told the Daily Mail. Carlson’s remarks, shared widely on social media and picked up by outlets such as Newsweek, painted a picture of a tense and unusual encounter, fueling speculation and debate on both sides of the Atlantic. The story quickly grew legs. Two sources told the Daily Mail that Israeli officials initially didn’t want Carlson to enter the country at all, relenting only to avoid a diplomatic incident. Yet, official responses from Israel and the U.S. painted a different picture. Israel’s foreign ministry issued a statement, reported by Newsweek, asserting, "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 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 U.S. Embassy in Israel echoed this sentiment, telling the Daily Mail that Carlson "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 embassy emphasized that its only involvement was to coordinate Carlson’s private plane landing, ensuring 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," said a spokesperson. Adding another layer to the episode, Ambassador Huckabee himself weighed in on X (formerly Twitter), writing, "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." Huckabee also thanked an Israeli reporter for clarifying the situation and reposted the foreign ministry’s statement. The ambassador’s public comments sought to tamp down the flames of controversy, suggesting that Carlson’s experience was, in fact, routine. Yet, for Carlson and his supporters, the incident was anything but ordinary. Former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican, took to social media to decry what she called the "detention" of an American journalist. "We won’t tolerate this. You just made it worse," she posted, reflecting the strong emotions the incident stirred among some U.S. conservatives. Digging deeper into the context, the interview between Carlson and Huckabee wasn’t just another media appearance. As reported by The Times of Israel, the meeting was arranged by Melissa Francis, a former Fox and CNBC host and a friend to both men. Francis described the conversation as "long, productive, and emotional," noting that Carlson pressed Huckabee with questions that "a lot of Americans are asking." She added, "They came together and did a really good job of answering Tucker’s questions and the ambassador correcting the things that he felt like were wrong." According to Francis, Huckabee "called him out on all those things and challenged him and corrected him today." The dialogue, she said, was professional and marked by a strong exchange of views. Francis also revealed that Carlson never left the VIP terminal at Ben-Gurion Airport, despite Huckabee inviting him to stay in Israel for several days. This fact was corroborated by The Jerusalem Post and Newsweek, which both reported that Carlson remained within the airport throughout his brief visit. Former U.S. Ambassador David Friedman lamented this decision, posting on X, "Too bad Tucker stayed in the airport in the face of so many invitations to see so many wonderful places. A huge and obviously intentional missed opportunity." The political undertones of the visit were hard to ignore. Carlson’s trip to Israel came against the backdrop of mounting tension within the U.S. Republican Party over support for Israel, particularly in the wake of the Gaza conflict. As Francis recounted, Carlson told her that former President Donald Trump had asked him to help reduce infighting among Republicans regarding Israel, fearing that public discord was benefiting Democrats. The interview itself was seen as an attempt to bridge these divides, with both Carlson—a leading critic of Israeli policy—and Huckabee, an outspoken Christian Zionist, engaging in direct, if sometimes heated, dialogue. Adding to the controversy, Carlson has previously accused Israel of mistreating Christians, an allegation he raised in a recent episode of The Tucker Carlson Show. According to Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, over 180,000 Christians live in Israel as of December 2025, a figure Carlson referenced as he pressed Huckabee on the issue. The ambassador, for his part, challenged Carlson’s assertions, seeking to correct what he saw as misrepresentations. The day’s events also intersected with broader debates over U.S. foreign policy. As reported by The Daily Mail, Carlson has publicly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, once saying, "Bibi Netanyahu is running around the Middle East telling people ‘I control the United States.’ I’m an American. It’s too humiliating. I can’t handle that. And I shouldn’t have to put up with that." This sort of rhetoric has fueled both support and backlash among American conservatives, deepening the rift within the party on how to approach the U.S.-Israel relationship. As of now, it remains unclear when or if the full interview between Carlson and Huckabee will air. What is certain is that the incident has reignited debate about the boundaries of diplomatic protocol, the treatment of journalists abroad, and the ever-evolving dynamics of American conservatism’s relationship with Israel. Whether the episode was a case of routine security procedures or an example of targeted scrutiny, it has left observers on all sides with plenty to chew on—and a reminder that, in the world of politics and media, perception often matters as much as reality.