Tucker Carlson claimed on Wednesday that he was detained during his visit to Israel, according to a statement he provided to The Daily Mail.
"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 discussed with Ambassador Huckabee," Carlson stated in his interview with The Daily Mail.
The report indicated that the government initially planned to deny Carlson entry into the country, but ultimately allowed it after negotiations with the team of US Ambassador Mike Huckabee.
A spokesperson for the US Embassy in Israel told The Daily Mail that Carlson's claims were inaccurate and clarified that he only received the same passport-control questions that many visitors to Israel encounter.
According to The Jerusalem Post, Carlson did not leave Ben-Gurion Airport during his visit and conducted the interview with Huckabee while still at the airport.
He departed Israel around 3 p.m., concluding a trip that lasted only a few hours.
Israel in conservative politics
The conversation between Carlson and Huckabee reportedly focused on claims regarding the treatment of Christians in Israel and the broader region.
This meeting occurs at a tense time in American conservative politics, where support for Israel has become a sharply contested issue, more so than in previous years.
Recently, Carlson has increasingly positioned himself as a leading critic of US policy toward Israel and of “Christian Zionism,” rhetoric that has elicited pushback from mainstream Republicans and pro-Israel conservatives.
The Jerusalem Post staff contributed to this report.