Tucker Carlson flew to Tel Aviv this week for a face-to-face meeting with U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, in an interview that garnered national attention even before it took place. However, the events that followed may have sparked even more controversy than the interview itself.
Carlson claims that Israeli security agents detained him and his team at Ben Gurion International Airport as they tried to leave the country. The agents reportedly seized their passports and demanded to know what the journalists had discussed with Huckabee.
Carlson described the scene to The Daily Mail, calling it very “bizarre.”
“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.
The interview between Carlson and Huckabee had been weeks in the making, growing out of a very public online clash between the two conservatives.
Carlson has become an increasing critic of certain Israeli policies – particularly regarding what he describes as the mistreatment and abuse of Christians in the country.
Huckabee, a longtime supporter of Israel now serving as Trump’s ambassador, challenged Carlson to have the debate in person rather than from behind a keyboard. Carlson accepted, flying in and conducting the interview entirely within the Ben Gurion Airport before leaving.
Prior to the interview, Carlos posted a picture smiling outside the airport, with a caption reading, “Greetings from Israel.”
When he tried to leave the country, by Carlson’s account, is when things turned strange. The claim that security officials pressed him on the specific details of his interview with a U.S. government official is a serious allegation.
However, Israel and the U.S. Embassy pushed back against Carlson’s claims.
Israel Foreign Ministry released a statement denying the allegations:
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
The statement reads in full: “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 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 Embassy also noted that its only involvement in the visit had been coordinating the landing of Carlson’s private plane, and that it was Carlson himself who chose to limit his stay to just a few hours.
Huckabee also took to X to back up the Israel Foreign Ministry’s claims, 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.”
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
