The US journalist had arrived in the country to interview the American ambassador, Mike Huckabee.
US journalist and podcaster Tucker Carlson has said he was briefly detained at Ben Gurion International Airport on Wednesday after taping an interview with the US ambassador to Israel.
Carlson, who frequently criticizes US aid to Israel, told the Daily Mail that Israeli officials took his passport and escorted his executive producer 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 said.
“It was bizarre. We’re now out of the country,” he added.
The United States Embassy in Israel denied Carlson’s claims, saying he was subjected to routine security checks at the airport.
Ambassador Mike Huckabee wrote on X: “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.”
According to The Jerusalem Post, Carlson did not leave the airport during his visit and conducted the interview with Huckabee inside the terminal.
Channel 13 reported that Israeli authorities considered barring the journalist from entering the country but ultimately decided against it to avoid a potential diplomatic incident.
In the past, Israel has blacklisted US politicians and activists critical of its policies toward the Palestinians. In 2019, Israel barred Democratic congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from entering the country.
Carlson has criticized Israel’s war in Gaza and claimed that US policymakers were acting on behalf of what he described as the Israeli lobby.
Jewish rights groups have accused Carlson of promoting anti-Semitic conspiracy theories and criticized him for inviting far-right activist Nick Fuentes to his podcast.
Intimidations as usual
Arabs are semites too.
Palestinians are the jews that never left.
Israel’s Purging of Christians From the Holy Land and the Plot to Keep Americans From Noticing
https://tuckercarlson.com/tucker-show-fares-abraham-021826
Tucker Carlson’s lies unmasked after he is seen HUGGING Israeli Airport staff member and posing for photo-despite claiming he was ‘detained’ and ‘hauled’ off by security.
Carlson appeared in great spirits while getting the celebrity treatment in Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport VIP lounge- even posing for the photo with a staff member.
The fired Fox News host had claimed he was detained upon arrival in the country for an interview with U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee; and called it a “bizarre” experience.
“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.”
The new footage, obtained exclusively by Oli London TV, shows the complete opposite and exposes his false narrative that he spread in an attempt to smear Israel.
Carlson also said he had to flee the country immediately afterwards- claims which have also been proven false.
A spokesperson from the U.S. embassy in Israel also denied that Carlson was detained.
“It is not accurate that Israel only was going to let Tucker into the country for the interview.”
Carlson also did not leave the vicinity of the airport despite being offered by various groups, including Christians to visit different part of the country.
His refusal to actually visit parts of Israel and meet with different communities has exposed Carlson for his extreme anti-Israel bias for social media clicks.
The latest incident has drawn a further spotlight on Tucker Carlson’s increasingly unhinged views, smears against the Middle East’s only democracy and his praise for countries like Russia and Qatar.
(Oli London on X)
Running interference are we….? Not buying it….
Ha, israhell is the only middel East ” democratie? I thought it was the super genocidal country inhabited by thieves, crooks and murderers…
Israel showing its true colour’s once again. An authoritarian regime that wont tolerate any criticism…I see the so called “not globalist” US administration kissing its arse as has always been the case. Any claims they support free speech are pure bullshit.
I’m sure he expected to be detained.