Former Israeli Leader Calls Tucker Carlson ‘Chickens—’ After Airport Detention Claim

tucker carlson said he was detained in Israel after an interview with U. S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, and the episode has drawn public rebuke from a former Israeli leader who labeled the airport detention claim "chickens—. " Carlson and his team have since left Israel, and officials and witnesses offer competing accounts of where he was held and why.

Tucker Carlson Says He Was Detained

tucker carlson publicly stated that he was detained in Israel following his interview with the U. S. ambassador. He and his business partner Neil Patel posted on a social platform that they were in Israel before the interview took place. It is not clear when the Huckabee interview will be broadcast.

Airport stay and invitation denial

A former U. S. ambassador to Israel said Carlson remained at the airport and declined an invitation to tour parts of the country. Separate individuals who spoke privately said the Israeli government initially did not want Carlson to enter, but that he was allowed into the country to avoid what was described as a diplomatic incident. Those accounts conflict on whether Carlson was formally detained or simply restricted to the airport area.

U. S. embassy response and what’s next

A U. S. embassy spokesperson denied that Carlson was detained and said, "It is not accurate that Israel only was going to let Tucker into the country for the interview. " With Carlson and his team now out of Israel, there is no publicly confirmed timeline for the interview's airing. A former Fox host who was present described the Huckabee conversation as "emotional" and framed it as an attempt to mend a rift within the GOP.

• Key takeaways: Carlson says he was detained; embassy denies detention; other accounts say he stayed at the airport; the interview's air date is unclear.

Analysis: The core factual split is between Carlson’s claim of detention and the embassy’s denial. Observable indicators in this episode are the public statements by Carlson and his team, the embassy spokesperson’s denial, and eyewitness claims that Carlson remained at the airport and declined an invitation to tour the country. If the Huckabee interview is broadcast, it may clarify the context of Carlson’s visit and prompt further official responses. Until the interview airs or additional official statements are published, key facts about the length and legal status of Carlson’s airport stay remain not publicly confirmed.