Tucker Carlson Claims Detention at Israeli Airport, Officials Deny

Was Carlson given VIP treatment at the airport or was he detained for political retaliation?

Published 9 hours ago·Updated 3 hours ago

Tucker Carlson Claims Detention at Israeli Airport, Officials Deny

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Above: Tucker Carlson at a Turning Point USA event in Phoenix, Ariz., on Dec. 18, 2025. Image credit: Olivier Touron/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

Carlson, whom Israel supporters have been eager to speak with, not detain, used a luxury VIP terminal at Ben Gurion Airport designed for dignitaries and celebrities, complete with private suites and upscale amenities. Standard security screening at this exclusive concierge service hardly constitutes detention. Calling this privileged treatment "detention" reveals a dishonest, anti-Israel agenda meant to mislead Americans about the Jewish State.

Joel M. Petlin on X Ynet

Establishment-critical narrative

Israeli security officials confiscated passports, hauled Carlson's producer into a separate room and demanded details about his conversation with Ambassador Huckabee. This came after Israeli authorities initially wanted to ban Carlson entirely and only relented to avoid a diplomatic incident. The scariest part of all is that, as history shows, if Israel were to arrest or even kill an American, the U.S. government would do nothing about it.

Rick Sanchez on X Middle East Eye Al Jazeera