Footage released Thursday sharply contradicts anti-Israel commentator Tucker Carlson’s  claims of being detained by security upon arriving in Israel. Instead of a tense standoff, the video shows a cheerful Carlson enjoying celebrity treatment in the VIP lounge of Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport.

Carlson originally painted a harrowing picture of his arrival for a scheduled interview with U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, describing the ordeal as a “bizarre” experience. He alleged that his team was aggressively confronted by local authorities upon landing.

“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 spoke to Ambassador Huckabee about,” Carlson claimed.

The footage, obtained by @OliLondonTV reveals a starkly different reality, exposing a false narrative seemingly designed to smear Israel. Far from being mistreated, the footage captures Carlson in high spirits, enthusiastically hugging an Israeli airport staff member and happily posing for a photo.

Official sources have also pushed back against the commentator’s story. A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Israel firmly denied that Carlson was detained or restricted, stating: “It is not accurate that Israel only was going to let Tucker into the country for the interview.”

Adding to the controversy, Carlson never left the immediate vicinity of the airport during his trip. This decision came despite receiving multiple invitations from various organizations, including local Christian groups, offering to host him for visits to different parts of the country.

Critics argue that his refusal to actually explore Israel and meet with diverse communities exposes an extreme anti-Israel bias. This latest incident is drawing renewed scrutiny to Carlson’s increasingly controversial rhetoric; his platforming of a Holocaust denier, a softball interview with Neo-Nazi Nick Fuentes, and frequent praise of Iran-alligned nations like Russia and Qatar.