Tucker Carlson arrived at Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv on February 18, 2026, via private plane to record an interview with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee inside the airport complex. He departed hours later without entering the country itself; he never left the airport.
Carlson told the Daily Mail and posted on X that Israeli security confiscated passports, hauled his executive producer into a side room, and demanded details about the Huckabee conversation. He called it "bizarre" and suggested it was tied to his criticisms of Israeli policy and U.S. aid.
Video footage obtained by journalist Oli London and shared on X shows a different picture.
The video shows Carlson hugging airport staff for a photo, signing papers, and walking away. There is no sign of confrontation or distress. He even posted a cheerful photo from the airport before he left.
Israeli Airports Authority stated on X that Carlson and his team "were not detained, delayed, or interrogated." They explained that routine passport control and security questions were conducted in a VIP lounge for privacy, as is standard for high-profile travelers. Tucker got better treatment and a more streamlined process that would not be available to the average person.
The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem also confirmed no detention took place, describing it as normal procedures every visitor, including Ambassador Huckabee and diplomats, receives.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett mocked Carlson on X, calling him a "chickens***" who "landed today at Ben Gurion airport, took a quick picture in the logistics zone, tweeted it to pretend he’s actually IN Israel...didn’t even step foot in country, then made up a story that he’s being supposedly harassed by our security (didn’t happen), whined about it, got back into the private jet and flew off."
Huckabee also pushed back against Tucker’s story, stating on X that passport checks and routine questions are routine for everyone entering or exiting Israel, including himself. He called Carlson "a friend and a great journalist," but affirmed that no harsh or unusual treatment occurred.
Carlson has criticized Israeli actions in Gaza and U.S. support, including in interviews with Jeffrey Sachs, accusing excessive force in Gaza, where the terrorist organization Hamas has been in control for years.
This is not much different from Greta Thunberg’s 2025 stunt, where she claimed Israel mistreated her after she tried to sneak into a warzone by boat, only to get a safe ride home and free meals from the very people she accused.
Tucker Carlson gets it right on plenty of issues, but lately his attacks on Israel, along with Candace Owens, are starting to look less like honest criticism and more like cheap shots. Americans value truth, and making up stories like this only destroys credibility.