Tucker Carlson accused U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee of being more loyal to Israel than America following an extended interview with the diplomat.
The two sides exchanged harsh words prior to the interview over Huckabee’s longstanding support for Israel and Carlson’s skepticism of the U.S.-Israeli alliance.
“It was very obvious he was representing the Israelis,” Carlson said during an introduction to the interview, which he released on social media on Friday. “You really got the feeling of a guy trying his best to repeat the talking points but very constrained.”
The duo spoke for more than two hours in which Carlson pressed Huckabee on a variety of topics ranging from who has a right to the land of Israel, a possible war in Iran, his two meetings with American traitor Jonathan Pollard, and the war in Gaza.
“If you’re an American in Israel, you can be certain that your government will take the side of the Israeli government and not your side. And really is that so different from the experience of Americans in the United States? Can you be sure that your government will take your side over the Israeli government? No, of course, they will always take the Israeli government side over yours, and that’s the core problem,” the former Fox News host said in the preview.
In defending the Israeli military’s conduct in Gaza during the interview, Huckabee said the Israel Defense Forces takes more precautions than the U.S. military did in Iraq, a claim that Carlson pressed him on.
“Your dig at the United States is very revealing,” Carlson said. “Your priorities are very clear,” as Huckabee disputed. “Because I said many civilians have been killed. You said right in the middle of your elaborate defense of the IDF’s killing of civilians, including children. You said they do a better job than the United States.”
Huckabee said he resented the idea “that you think I’m not loyal to the U.S.,” to which Carlson responded, “Look, I’m not saying you’re not loyal. I’m merely, knowing what you just said, which was that the IDF takes greater pains than the US our military does to spare civilian lives.”
Israeli leaders have defended their conduct in Gaza, which is believed to have killed more than 70,000 people — both civilians and combatants — and multiple humanitarian organizations have accused them of genocide.
Prior to its release, Carlson alleged he was detained in Israel’s primary airport where the interview was conducted, which Huckabee and Israeli officials disputed. Carlson shared what happened in the intro, where he noted the ambassador had not checked in with him to hear their version of events despite challenging his account.
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“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 said earlier this week of the incident, which Huckabee disputed and said was standard procedure.
The interview comes as President Donald Trump is debating whether or not to carry out military strikes against Iran, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has advocated in favor.
