Conservative American political activist and commentator Tucker Carlson claimed on Wednesday that he was detained by Israeli security officials at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, but his claim appears to have backfired.
Carlson, who was in Israel for an interview with US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, told the Daily Mail that he had been detained.
“Men who identified themselves as airport security took our passports, dragged our executive producer into the next room and then demanded to know what we talked about with Ambassador Huckabee. It was bizarre. Now we are out of the country,” the American conservative activist quoted.
However, Carlson’s claim was rejected by Israeli and American authorities.
What the authorities have said about Tucker Carlson’s claims
Commenting on the alleged incident, the Israel Airports Authority said it “strongly rejects” Carlson’s claims.
“Contrary to reports, Tucker Carlson and his entourage were not detained, detained or questioned. Mr. Carlson and his party were politely asked a few routine questions in accordance with standard procedures applied to many passengers,” the IAA statement shared by Israel’s Foreign Ministry said.
“The conversation took place in a separate room in the VIP lounge solely to protect their privacy and to prevent such a discussion from taking place in public,” the statement added, according to the Times of Israel.
The American embassy was also unsympathetic to Carlson’s claims.
A spokesman for the US Embassy in Israel rejected the political activist’s claim, telling the Daily Mail that Carlson “received the same passport control questions that countless visitors to Israel including Ambassador Huckabee and other diplomats receive as part of their normal entry and exit from Israel.”
“It is not accurate that only Israel was going to let Tucker into the country for the interview,” the Mail quoted a spokesman as saying.
“The only engagement the embassy had with Israel regarding his (Carlson’s) visit was to coordinate the landing of his private plane to facilitate a smooth visit. It was Tucker who chose to come into the country for only a few hours and fly out. And Tucker was given the same favorable treatment as all visitors to Israel,” the spokesman added.
As Carlson’s claims went viral and news spread, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee joined the conversation.
“EVERYONE coming/leaving Israel (ie every country) has passports checked and security questions routinely. Even ME go in/out with a diplomatic passport and a diplomatic visa,” the US ambassador wrote on X.
At the time of writing, Carlson has yet to respond to authorities denying his claims.