FEBRUARY 19, 2026 22:47 Tucker Carlson was seen hugging and taking a photograph with a Ben-Gurion Airport employee, according to footage circulating on social media on Thursday, contradicting his claim to The Daily Mail that he was detained and hauled off by security. In the video, he was seen smiling and hugging staff at the airport. He appeared to be unaccompanied, further contradicting his claims that he was travelling with security guards. Sources confirmed to The Jerusalem Post that Carlson did not leave the airport during his visit and conducted the interview with US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee there. He departed Israel around 3 p.m., concluding a trip that lasted only a few hours. "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 Wednesday interview with The Daily Mail. 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. Israel Airports Authority further confirmed that Carlson was "politely asked a few routine questions, in accordance with standard procedures applied to many travelers" in a late Wednesday X/Twitter post. The questions were asked in a private, VIP lounge to protect his and his party's privacy, the authority said, adding that "no unusual incident occurred" and it rejects any such claims. Bennett: 'Chickens***' Carlson landed in Israel, faked harassment Former prime minister Naftali Bennett slammed Carlson following his brief visit to Israel, calling him "a chickens***" and saying that he has been "spouting lies about Israel." In his remarks, shared late Wednesday on X/Twitter, Bennett accused Carlson of lying and of trying to portray a false image of his visit to Israel. Bennett continued, arguing that Carlson "didn’t even step foot in the country" yet "made up a story that he’s being supposedly harassed by our security." Finally, Bennett said, Carlson "whined" about his experience before flying off in his private jet. Tobias Siegal, Tobias Holcman, and Shoshana Baker contributed to this report. See more on