Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Wednesday ripped American commentator Tucker Carlson, after Carlson falsely claimed that he had been detained at Ben Gurion Airport upon his arrival in Israel.
“Tucker Carlson is a chickens**t. The guy who’s been spouting lies about Israel for the past two years, landed today at Ben Gurion airport, took a quick picture in the logistics zone, tweeted it to pretend he’s actually IN Israel (so he can later claim that he’s a serious reporter who toured Israel), didn’t even step foot in country, then made up a story that he’s being supposedly harassed by our security (didn’t happen), whined about it, got back into the private jet and flew off," Bennett wrote in a post on social media.
“Next time he talks about Israel as if he’s some expert, just remember this guy is a phony!" added Bennett.
Carlson claimed earlier that he and members of his team were detained at Ben Gurion Airport after conducting an interview with US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
Carlson, who traveled to Israel for a sit-down discussion with Huckabee following a public disagreement over Israel’s treatment of Christians, said the incident occurred shortly after the interview concluded.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Carlson alleged that airport security personnel confiscated their passports and took his executive producer to a separate room for questioning. He described the encounter as unusual and said the group later departed the country.
A spokesperson for the US Embassy in Israel denied that Carlson was detained. The spokesperson stated that Carlson received routine passport control questions similar to those asked of other visitors, including diplomats.
“It is not accurate that Israel only was going to let Tucker into the country for the interview," the spokesperson said, adding that the Embassy’s only coordination with Israeli authorities concerned facilitating the landing of Carlson’s private plane. The spokesperson further said that Carlson opted to remain in the country for only a few hours and that he was treated in the same manner as other visitors.
The Airports Authority commented: "Contrary to the reports, Tucker Carlson and his entourage were not detained, delayed, or interrogated. Mr. Carlson and his party were politely asked a few routine questions, in accordance with standard procedures applied to many travelers. The conversation took place in a separate room within the VIP lounge solely to protect their privacy and to avoid conducting such a discussion in public. No unusual incident occurred, and the Israel Airports Authority firmly rejects any other claims."