Newly released footage on Thursday appears to contradict claims by commentator Tucker Carlson that he was detained by Israeli security upon arriving in Israel for a scheduled interview.

While Carlson publicly described his arrival as “bizarre,” alleging that airport authorities confiscated passports and aggressively questioned his team about a meeting with U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee, the video shows him in a calm and upbeat setting inside the VIP lounge at Ben Gurion Airport, greeting staff and posing for photos.

In one account of the incident, Carlson stated: “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.”

However, the footage, reportedly obtained by @OliLondonTV, shows no visible signs of tension, instead depicting a relaxed interaction and what appears to be courteous treatment in the lounge area.

U.S. officials also pushed back on Carlson’s version of events. A spokesperson for the U.S. Embassy in Israel said his characterization was inaccurate, stating, “It is not accurate that Israel only was going to let Tucker into the country for the interview,” and denying that he was detained or restricted.

Officials familiar with the visit indicated that Carlson remained within the airport’s immediate vicinity during his trip, despite invitations from various local and community groups to travel within the country.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)