A disagreement has surfaced between Tucker Carlson and Israeli authorities after the conservative commentator claimed he was "detained" at Ben-Gurion Airport during a recent visit.
Carlson said the incident occurred after he conducted an interview with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. In comments to the Daily Mail, Carlson described what he characterized as an unusual security encounter before departing the country.
"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 said. "It was bizarre."
Carlson suggested the questioning went beyond routine screening, though he did not state that he was formally arrested or denied entry into Israel.
Israeli officials strongly dispute that characterization.
Israeli Authorities: 'Not Detained'
The Israel Airports Authority (IAA) released a statement rejecting Carlson's claim that he was detained or interrogated.
"Contrary to the reports, Tucker Carlson and his entourage were not detained, delayed, or interrogated," the IAA said. "Mr. Carlson and his party were politely asked a few routine questions, in accordance with standard procedures applied to many travelers."
According to officials, the discussion took place in a separate room within the VIP lounge for privacy reasons, not as a form of custody or formal detention.
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee also addressed the matter publicly.
"EVERYONE who comes in/out of Israel (every country for that matter) has passports checked & routinely asked security questions," Huckabee wrote on X. "Even me going in/out with Diplomatic Passport & Diplomatic Visa."
A spokesperson for the U.S. embassy reportedly echoed that the encounter aligned with normal security procedures.
A Matter of Interpretation
At the center of the dispute is how the airport interaction should be defined.
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Carlson describes the experience as a detention involving pointed questioning about his interview.
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Israeli authorities maintain it was standard security screening consistent with common travel procedures.
No public evidence has surfaced indicating that Carlson was arrested, charged, or denied entry. As of February 19, 2026, the issue appears to hinge on differing interpretations of routine airport protocol.
Political Context Adds Attention
The incident unfolds amid broader tensions in American political discourse surrounding Israel and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Carlson has been outspoken in criticizing certain Israeli policies, a stance that has drawn both support and criticism within conservative circles.
However, Israeli officials have not indicated that the airport questioning was related to Carlson's political views.
For now, both sides remain firm in their accounts - leaving observers to weigh two sharply different descriptions of the same encounter.
