Tucker Carlson’s ‘Detainment’ Drama at Israeli Airport: Unpacking the Routine Customs Check Controversy

In a recent turn of events, Tucker Carlson, known for his outspoken critiques of U.S.-Israel policies and previous accusations of antisemitic language, reported an unusual encounter at an Israeli airport. Carlson stated that he and his team experienced what he described as a detention by security personnel at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel.

Carlson, who had traveled to Israel to conduct an interview with U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, claimed that upon their arrival, individuals identifying themselves as airport security confiscated their passports. The security personnel allegedly took Carlson’s executive producer into a separate room and inquired about the discussions held with Ambassador Huckabee. “It was bizarre. We’re now out of the country,” Carlson remarked in a statement provided to The Post.

However, Ambassador Huckabee quickly refuted Carlson’s account, emphasizing that such procedures are standard protocol for all travelers entering or exiting Israel. “EVERYONE who comes in/out of Israel (every country for that matter) has passports checked & routinely asked security questions,” Huckabee clarified in his rebuttal.

To further counter Carlson’s claims, Huckabee shared a statement from the Israel Airports Authority. The statement firmly denied any allegations that Carlson and his team were “denied, delayed, or interrogated” during their time at the airport.

Huckabee rejected Carlson’s claims and wrote that “EVERYONE who comes in/out of Israel (every country for that matter) has passports checked & routinely asked security questions.” 

The ambassador also shared a statement from the Israel Airports Authority denying all accusations that Carlson’s “entourage” were “denied, 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,” the IAA wrote.

When he arrived, Carlson posted a picture of himself and his business partner, Neil Patel, in front of the Ben Gurion Airport, captioned “Greetings from Israel.”

Carlson, 56, has veered sharply into bashing Israel since he was pushed out of Fox News in 2023.

He launched his independent stream “The Tucker Carlson Show” just one year later–where he has platformed scores of renowned antisemites, ranging from Holocaust denier Darryl Cooper to white supremacist Nick Fuentes, an unabashed admirer of Adolf Hitler.

During his chummy tête-à-tête with Fuentes, Carlson singled out Huckabee as a “Christian Zionists” he bizarrely asserted was “seized by this brain virus” of supporting Israel

“I dislike [Christian Zionists] more than anybody,” Carlson said.

At Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, which upwards of 100 million people watched online, Carlson suggested that Israel was behind the conservative pundit’s assassination while trying to paint his death with Jesus’ crucifixion. 

StopAntisemitism, a grassroots watchdog organization, named Carlson the “Antisemite of the Year” in December 2025.

“He uses his platform of millions to normalize antisemitism, from downplaying white supremacy to promoting the antisemitic ‘great replacement theory,’ turning dog whistles into a megaphone for hate,” the group said.

Critics were quick to call out Carlson’s refusal to leave the airport during his visit, which lasted only a few hours.

“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,” David Friedman, the former US ambassador to Israel during Trump’s first term, wrote on X.

“He doesn’t realize they don’t stamp passports anymore! Jk he hates Israel and he’s a coward,” a rabbi from Kansas added.