Tucker Carlson, a prominent figure in conservative podcasting, reported that he and his team were detained in Israel on Wednesday after conducting an interview with Mike Huckabee, who currently serves as Donald Trump’s ambassador to the nation. Carlson, formerly a host on Fox News, traveled to Tel Aviv specifically to sit down with Huckabee, following a public online exchange concerning Israel’s treatment of Christians—a topic Carlson has frequently criticized, alongside Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

Amid mounting criticism and backlash from pro-Israel activists accusing Carlson of not venturing beyond the airport during his brief stay, he shared details of an unexpectedly hostile reception. Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail, Carlson recounted how, shortly after their interview, Israeli officials seized his passport and took his executive producer for questioning. “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,” he explained to the Daily Mail, describing the incident as “bizarre.” He confirmed that they have since left the country.

Before the interview, Carlson shared a snapshot on X of himself with business partner Neil Patel at Ben Gurion Airport, captioned with a greeting from Israel. David Friedman, who served as the US ambassador to Israel during Trump’s presidency, critiqued Carlson’s decision to remain at the airport despite numerous invitations to explore the country, labeling it a “missed opportunity.” According to two sources familiar with the situation, the Israeli government had initially been hesitant to allow Carlson entry, necessitating sensitive negotiations involving the State Department.

The Israeli government decided to not bar Carlson from entering the country the visit in order to not cause a ‘diplomatic incident,’ according to a Channel 13 report. The Daily Mail has contacted the White House, State Department, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office for comment. Carlson accused Huckabee last week on his YouTube show of not ensuring proper protections for Christians in Israel. Huckabee, who has known Carlson for over three decades and previously worked with him at Fox News, responded by inviting him to Israel for a discussion.

‘Instead of talking about me, why don’t you come talk to me?’ Huckabee wrote on X. Carlson replied by welcoming the invitation before noting the they were working on setting up the interview. Israel’s popularity remains at a all-time low in the GOP among young Republican voters and Trump supporters. The Carlson-Huckabee event was reportedly an attempt by the Trump administration to prevent debates surrounding Israel from breaking the GOP’s conservative coalition ahead of the midterms. Trump urged Carlson and others within the GOP to ease off internal fights with Republicans over Israel, according to former Fox News anchor Melissa Francis.

‘Everybody’s looking for a way to turn down the temperature,’ Francis told the Jerusalem Post. ‘President Trump is telling everyone, including Tucker, “Let’s take this down.”‘ Carlson is a longtime ally to Vice President JD Vance and speaks with Trump on a range of issues, including foreign policy. Last month, Carlson visited the White House twice and met with Trump in the Oval Office on at least one known occasion.