JERUSALEM (VINNews) – Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett launched a sharp attack on conservative commentator Tucker Carlson after Carlson made a brief visit to Israel this week.
In a social media post late Wednesday, Bennett claimed Carlson spent only a short time at Ben Gurion Airport before leaving the country, yet later framed the trip as a more substantial reporting visit. Bennett alleged that Carlson suggested he had faced harassment from Israeli security authorities, a claim Bennett dismissed as fabricated.
Tucker Carlson is a chickenshit.
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… https://t.co/ZWZ8aY7BAG— Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט (@naftalibennett) February 18, 2026
Carlson had reportedly traveled to meet U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee to discuss concerns about the treatment of Christians in Israel and across the region. According to individuals familiar with the visit, the meeting took place inside the airport complex, and Carlson departed within hours of his arrival.
The exchange comes amid Carlson’s recent criticism of Israel, including assertions that Christians face mistreatment and that American aid may be indirectly supporting such policies. Those claims have drawn rebuttals from Israeli officials and some conservative figures in the United States.
Figures released by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics show that the country’s Christian population has steadily increased since the state’s founding, reaching approximately 185,000 in recent years — a trend Israeli officials often cite in response to allegations of systemic persecution.