Tucker Carlson has claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally threatened him and at least two family members, making the explosive allegation in a podcast episode released on 21 February 2026 following a brief visit to Israel. The remarks have drawn widespread attention, sparking fierce debate within American conservative circles over US-Israel relations and Carlson's increasingly combative posture towards the Israeli government.

The right-wing commentator said he had persistently sought a meeting with Netanyahu, contacting as many as eight officials to arrange even a five-minute sit-down with the Israeli premier. Former Fox News anchor Melissa Francis, who helped facilitate the meeting, confirmed Carlson had tried to reach Netanyahu through intermediaries but was rebuffed, with Francissayinghe 'was not interested.' Carlson said the effort was partly motivated by a direct threat to people close to him.

Speaking ahead of his interview with US Ambassador Mike Huckabee, Carlson said: 'There was a threat to my family. The Israeli government, and Netanyahu himself, tried to punish two members of my family. I won't be more specific, but actually punish two members of my family because he, as he has said in public many times, believes in blood guilt, Amalek.'

Carlson tied the alleged threat to what he described as Netanyahu's belief in collective punishment,saying: 'You know, when someone commits a crime against you, you punish not just him, but his family, his bloodline.' He added: 'There's no idea that's less Western than that, more anti-Christian than that. Christians reject that. Netanyahu doesn't. That's why he's talking about Amalek, and he was going after my family, literally, so I felt very threatened by that.'

Carlson did not provide any further details or offer evidence to substantiate the claim.

🇺🇸🇮🇱 TUCKER CARLSON: Benjamin Netanyahu personally threatened me, and "at least two members of my family."pic.twitter.com/YVI3WYe13Z

The interview with Huckabee was conducted at Ben Gurion Airport during Carlson's visit to Israel on 18 February 2026 and released as part of a podcast episode on 21 February. Carlson never left the airport's VIP terminal, though Huckabee had invited him to spend several days in the country. The visit was clouded by controversy before the interview had even been released.

Carlson alleged that Israeli security officials had taken his team's passports and hauled his executive producer 'into a side room' and 'demanded to know' what was discussed with Huckabee. Both the Israel Airports Authority and the US Embassy firmly rejected the claim. The IAAstatedthat 'contrary to the reports, Tucker Carlson and his entourage were not detained, delayed, or interrogated,' adding the group were 'politely asked a few routine questions, in accordance with standard procedures applied to many travellers.'

Reports also emerged that Israeli authorities had briefly discussed whether tobarCarlson from entering the country over his past comments — something they have done with other prominent critics of Israel — but ultimately decided to avoid a diplomatic incident.

The family threat was far from the only explosive claim in the episode. In his opening monologue, CarlsoncalledIsrael 'probably the most violent country in the world' and pressed Huckabee on whether Ashkenazi Jews, including Netanyahu, had a genuine connection to the land of Israel.

Source: International Business Times UK