Tucker Carlson says passport seized, staff interrogated at Israeli airport | News
Israeli Officials Deny Claims of Passport Confiscation Involving Tucker Carlson
Israeli officials have refuted allegations made by conservative podcaster Tucker Carlson that he and his crew were detained at an airport following an interview with former U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee. Carlson claimed that officials briefly confiscated his passport and interrogated a member of his team.
Reports from The Daily Mail and The New York Post indicate that, after the interview, airport security personnel took Carlson’s passport and questioned his executive producer in a separate room. Carlson asserted, “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.”
In response, Oren Marmorstein, spokesperson for Israel’s Foreign Ministry, characterized the engagement as routine questioning and not an interrogation. He stated that Carlson and his crew were “politely asked a few routine questions, in accordance with standard procedures applied to many travellers.” Marmorstein clarified that the discussion took place in a VIP lounge to maintain the privacy of those involved.
Israeli media reported that Carlson conducted the interview at Ben Gurion International Airport without leaving the terminal before returning to the U.S. As of now, Carlson has not made further comments on the matter via his website or social media accounts.
The interview was reportedly organized after a public disagreement between Huckabee and Carlson regarding an episode focusing on the treatment of Christians in Israel. Huckabee invited Carlson to Israel for a direct conversation.
Carlson, a prominent voice in the MAGA movement, has recently expressed growing criticism of Israel, contributing to a rift within the Republican Party, which has historically held strong support for the nation.
