Uncategorized
In ‘Jewish Matchmaking,’ a diverse set of Jews experience Orthodox dating practices
(JTA) — According to Jewish lore, God has been making matches since the creation of the world. Aleeza Ben Shalom has been at it only since 2007 — but the Jewish matchmaker is about to bring what she calls “the most important job in the world” to the masses.
As the host of “Jewish Matchmaking” on Netflix, Ben Shalom adapts the model of Orthodox arranged matches to Jewish singles from a variety of religious and cultural backgrounds, including secular, Reform and Conservative Jews from across the United States and Israel.
Formal matchmaking, known as shidduch dating and considered de rigueur in haredi Orthodox circles, has been depicted as oppressive and constricting on Netflix dramas such as “Shtisel” and “Unorthodox.” But Ben Shalom believes her basic approach to love and marriage makes sense for a wide array of people — and she’s out to prove it.
“I’m hoping that people will see that matchmaking and Judaism is not just something that’s old, but that’s timeless, that’s relevant,” Ben Shalom told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
“We can use this beautiful, ancient tradition of matchmaking and bring it to modern life, and help people to find love from any age, stage, any background. It doesn’t matter. It’s universal,” she said. “The wisdom that I share is from Judaism. It’s based in Torah, but it’s for the world. Anybody of any background, of any culture can watch this, can learn something from it and can implement it in their lives.”
Ben Shalom isn’t the first to make the case that matchmaking services can help a wide array of Jews find lasting love. Ventures such as YentaNet, a pluralistic matchmaking service that arose about a decade ago, and Tribe 12, a Jewish nonprofit working with young adults in Philadelphia where Ben Shalom got her start, have sought to pair Jewish singles who might be a good fit for each other.
But the practice is most common in haredi Orthodox communities, where the norms around shidduch dating are well known and closely followed. Daters have a “shidduch resume” outlining their education, interests and family background; parents are involved in the process; and dating is intended to move quickly toward marriage. Dates typically take place in public spaces and couples are expected not to touch until they are married.
In formal Orthodox matchmaking, the shadchan, or matchmaker, is usually compensated by the parents, receiving around $1,000 upon a couple’s engagement, although higher-end services may charge more. Some matchmakers may charge a smaller amount for the initial meeting with a client, while Ben Shalom’s company, Marriage Minded Mentor, charges $50 to $100 an hour on a sliding scale based on the client’s salary. (Sima Taparia, the star and host of “Indian Matchmaking,” the Netflix show that inspired “Jewish Matchmaking,” reportedly charges her clients around $1,330 to $8,000 for similar services.)
Matchmakers keep records of who in their communities is looking for a match, but they can also tap into networks of other matchmakers and databases of singles as they seek to pair their clients. “We don’t believe in competition, we believe in collaboration,” said Ben Shalom, who is currently based in Israel.
Ben Shalom grew up in a Conservative Jewish community where matchmaking was not the norm, and later became Orthodox. She knew her husband for three weeks before becoming engaged, then touched him for the first time during their wedding four months later.
She knows that most participants on “Jewish Matchmaking” are unlikely to follow those same restrictions. Still, she encourages them to at least try.
“I’m really trying to have you guys touch hearts,” Ben Shalom tells Harmonie Krieger, a marketing and brand consultant in her 40s, as she explains why she wants Krieger to abstain from physical contact for five dates. “You will gain clarity. If there’s no physical glue holding the relationship together, then there’s actually value-based glue that’s holding the relationship together.”
“I will accept the challenge,” Krieger says. “Maybe. Let’s see how it goes.”
Harmonie Krieger, one of the clients and cast members of the show, is challenged not to touch her dates for their first five dates. (Netflix)
Krieger is one of a number of non-Orthodox Jews who opted to be cast on “Jewish Matchmaking” after being unsatisfied with their own dating efforts. There’s Nakysha Osadchey, a Black Reform Jew who is desperate to get out of Kansas City, Missouri, where she hasn’t had luck finding a partner who understands her multicultural background. Living in Tel Aviv via Rome, Noah Del Monte, 24, is the youngest of the group, an Israeli army veteran and diplomat’s son who wants to transition from so-called “king of nightlife” to husband. In Los Angeles, Ori Basly, who works for his family’s wedding planning business, is looking for a blue-eyed, blonde-haired Israeli woman to fall in love with and bring home to his family.
The Jews cast on the show are all in different places in their lives, some grieving serious breakups or committed to specific religious identities, some picky about looks or hoping their partner will be OK with riding motorcycles. Some of them are looking for particular Jewish commitments to concepts such as tikkun olam, which means “repairing the world” and has come to represent a social justice imperative for many liberal Jews; others want to be sure they’re matched only with people who share their approaches to observing Shabbat and keeping kosher.
Nakysha Osadchey from Kansas City, Missouri is looking for someone who understands her multicultural background as a Black Reform Jew. (Netflix)
Pamela Rae Schuller, a comedian whose material frequently centers on living with Tourette syndrome, a nervous system disorder, demurred when Ben Shalom first offered to set her up about seven years ago, after attending one of Schuller’s shows in Los Angeles.
“I was picking career first. And there are a lot of complicated feelings around dating and disability,” said Schuller, who stands 4 feet 6 inches tall and frequently barks because of her syndrome. “And I never even thought about a matchmaker.”
But in 2022, Ben Shalom reached out again, this time with a possible match, and a catch — it would be for a new Netflix show she was set to host. This time, Schuller was ready.
“I have this life that I really, really love. I’m just at the point where I’ve realized I’d like someone to start to share that with,” she said. “I’m not going into this looking for anyone to complete me.”
Pamela Rae Schuller, a comedian whose material frequently deals with living with a disability, makes an appearance on “Jewish Matchmaking”. (Courtesy Pamela Rae Schuller)
Getting back into dating and then appearing on the show, which Schuller hasn’t seen yet, was both scary and exciting, she says
“I’m about to put myself out there. I think that’s scary for everyone, disability or otherwise,” Schuller said. “But I also want to see a world where we remember that every type of person dates.”
Plus, she added, “I love the idea that Netflix is willing to show diversity in Judaism, diversity in dating.”
Ensuring that she show accurately represented American Jews was the responsibility of Ronit Polin-Tarshish, an Orthodox filmmaker who worked as a consulting producer on “Jewish Matchmaking.” Her role was to ensure that Judaism was portrayed authentically. She also worked to help the Orthodox cast members feel more comfortable with their involvement on the show.
“Being Orthodox is who I am, and of course it infused every part of my work,” said Polin-Tarshish, who herself used a matchmaker to find her husband.
Multiple recent depictions of Orthodox Judaism in pop culture — including the Netflix reality show “My Unorthodox Life” — have drawn criticism from Orthodox voices for getting details of Orthodox observance wrong or seeming to encourage people to leave Orthodoxy. Both “My Unorthodox Life” and “Unorthodox,” based on the Deborah Feldman memoir of the same name, depict formerly Orthodox women who left arranged marriages they described as oppressive.
Meanwhile, other depictions of Jews have been panned for botching details. Those include a grieving widow (herself not Jewish, but mourning a Jewish husband) serving hamantaschen at the shiva in the 2014 film “This is Where I Leave You,” and a storyline on the Canadian show “Nurses” about an Orthodox man rejecting a bone graft from a non-Jew.
“So many times we watch shows as Jews and we kind of gnash our teeth, and are like, ‘They got it wrong! They got a basic thing wrong!’” said Polin-Tarshish, who previously produced the first-ever feature-length film by Orthodox women and worked on another reality show about arranged marriages across cultures. “That was my whole job, to make sure that they got it right. And thank God, baruch Hashem, I think we really did.”
Asked if her involvement on “Jewish Matchmaking” has received any pushback, Ben Shalom said she had gotten questions about how she could know whether the showrunners will accurately represent who she is.
Ben Shalom said she was confident in the production based on what she saw on “Indian Matchmaking,” but also because she believed she could pull off the delicate balance needed to represent her own community and make for great entertainment.
“You have to be smart about how you share who you are with the world, and you have to be authentic, and you have to be real, and you have to be true,” she said. “And you have to do that on reality TV with strangers that you’ve just met, and you have to do an interview. So only because I saw it done beautifully before, I knew that I had the ability to do that as well.”
Polin-Tarshish is excited for viewers at home to identify with the cast of “Jewish Matchmaking,” and to even get frustrated by some of the cast members’ actions. But most importantly, she says she is excited to have real, three-dimensional Jewish characters on screen.
“They’re real people in every sense of the word,” Polin-Tarshish said. “There are characters you’re going to love, there are characters you might even love to hate. But that’s life.”
—
The post In ‘Jewish Matchmaking,’ a diverse set of Jews experience Orthodox dating practices appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Uncategorized
A ‘Yiddish Vokh’ for nerds — but without the families
דעם 9טן ביזן 16טן פֿעברואַר איז אין קלויזנבורג, רומעניע פֿאָרגעקומען די ערשטע אינטענסיווע ייִדישע ווינטער־פּראָגראַם געווידמעט דער טעמע ייִדיש אין געוועזענעם מיזרח־בלאָק, ד״ה אין ראַטן־פֿאַרבאַנד, פּוילן, און רומעניע אין דער קאָמוניסטישער תּקופֿה. אַן אינטענסיווע ייִדיש־פּראָגראַם מיט אַזאַ טעמע, וווּ מע לערנט סאָוועטיש ייִדיש און אָרטאָגראַפֿיע, איז נאָך קיין מאָל נישט געווען, אויף וויפֿל איך ווייס — לכל־הפּחות נישט זײַט דער ראַטן־פֿאַרבאַנד האָט צוגעמאַכט דאָס געשעפֿט אין 1991.
איבער 70 ייִדישיסטן, ייִדיש־פֿאָרשערס און אַוואַנסירטע סטודענטן האָבן זיך פֿאַרזאַמלט אויפֿן קאַמפּוס פֿון באַבש־באָלײַ־אוניווערסיטעט, וואָס איז דער גרעסטער אין רומעניע און דער איינציקער, וווּ מע לערנט ייִדיש. די פּראָגראַם איז באַשטאַנען פֿון לעקציעס, וואַרשטאַטן, קאָנצערטן, וויזיטן אין מוזייען און בתּי־כּנסיות, אַ נסיעה קיין סאַטמאַר און שאַמלוי, ווי אויך אַן אַקאַדעמישע קאָנפֿערענץ מיט 12 רעפֿעראַטן — אַלץ אין גאַנצן אויף ייִדיש.
מע קען זאָגן, אַז די אונטערנעמונג איז געווען אַ מין „ייִדיש־וואָך“ פֿאַר נערדס — אָבער אָן די משפּחות.
די באַטייליקטע זענען געקומען פֿון אַ סך אייראָפּעיִשע לענדער, צפֿון־אַמעריקע און ישׂראל. דער פּוילישער קאָנטינגענט איז געווען ספּעציעל אָנזעעוודיק (כּן ירבו!). איך האָב באַמערקט, אַז אַפֿילו צווישן די אַמעריקאַנער און ישׂראלים האָבן אַ סך מענטשן געהאַט אַ „סאָוועטישן“ הינטערגרונט, ווײַל זייערע טאַטע־מאַמע זענען געקומען פֿון דאָרט. אין אַ געוויסער מאָס איז די פּראָגראַם געווען אַ סאָרט צוזאַמענטרעף פֿון לאַנדסלײַט.
ווי אַזוי האָט מען צוגעצויגן איבער 70 ייִדישיסטן קיין קלויזנבורג, רומעניע? קודם־כּל, איז די פּראָגראַם געווען כּמעט בחינם. מע האָט באַצאָלט בלויז $10 אַ האָטעל־צימער און זייער ווייניק פֿאַר אַן עקסקורסיע און אַנדערע קלייניקייטן, אָבער בעצם איז עס געווען פֿרײַ, אַ דאַנק די צוויי אוניווערסיטעטן, וואָס האָבן אָרגאַניזירט די פּראָגראַם בשותּפֿות: בר־אילן אוניווערסיטעט אין ישׂראל און באַבש־באָלײַ־אוניווערסיטעט אין רומעניע.
זיי האָבן, למשל, געדעקט כּמעט אַלע הוצאָות און באַזאָרגט די באַטייליקטע מיט קאַווע און כּיבוד אין די הפֿסקות. בכלל קאָסט דאָס לעבן אין רומעניע ווייניקער ווי אין מערבֿ־אייראָפּע אָדער אין ישׂראל. האָבן די אָנטייל־נעמער געלעבט אַזוי ווי אינעם באַקאַנטן ליד „רומעניע“ פֿון אַהרן לעבעדעוו: „פֿון קיין דאגות ווייסט מען ניט…“
דעם פּלאַן פֿאַר דער בשותּפֿותדיקער פּראָגראַם האָט בער קאָטלערמאַן אויסגעאַרבעט צוזאַמען מיט אַוגוסטאַ קאָסטיוק ראַדאָסטאַוו. געהאָלפֿן אָרגאַניזירן האָבן אויך ענת אַדרת און חנה גינזבורג־פּאַלעי, ווי אויך פֿיליפּ שוואַרץ. אין דער פּראָגראַם האָבן אויך געלערנט דאַשאַ וואַכרושאָוואַ, מיכאל לוקין, סאַשאַ פּאָליאַן, קאַראָלינע שימאַניאַק און אַני הקטן.
ס׳איז געווען צו באַוווּנדערן, אַז די גאַנצע פּראָגראַם איז פֿאָרגעקומען אין גאַנצן אויף ייִדיש, אַפֿילו לעקציעס וועגן שווערע ליטעראַרישע און היסטאָרישע טעמעס. דאָס איז בלויז געווען מעגלעך דערפֿאַר, ווײַל די פּראָגראַם איז געווען געצילט, דער עיקר, אויף אַוואַנסירטע ייִדיש־קענערס. מע האָט אויך אַרײַנגענומען מיטעלע סטודענטן, אָבער נישט קיין אָנהייבערס. דאָס האָט אַלעמען באַפֿרײַט פֿון דער געוויינטלעכער טירחה פֿון באַפֿרידיקן די אָנהייבערס מיט ענגליש־שפּראַכיקע לעקציעס, אונטערנעמונגען, און דערקלערונגען. מע האָט יאָ פֿון צײַט צו צײַט געהערט גוייִשע שפּראַכן, ווי למשל ווען מענטשן פֿון דעם זעלבן לאַנד האָבן גערעדט צווישן זיך. אָבער בדרך־כּלל האָבן אַלע פּראָבירט צו רעדן בלויז ייִדיש.
פֿון די 1920ער ביז די 1940ער יאָרן האָבן ייִדישע קאָמוניסטן געשאַפֿן אַ וויכטיקן חלק פֿון דער ייִדישער קולטור און ליטעראַטור. אַ סך פֿון די בעסטע ייִדישע שרײַבערס זענען געווען קאָמוניסטן, אָדער האָבן לכל־הפּחות סימפּאַטיזירט מיט זיי און געשריבן פֿאַר „לינקע“ פּובליקאַציעס. עס איז אַן אומיושר, וואָס דער הײַנטיקער עולם פֿאַרקוקט די קינסטלערישע אויפֿטוען פֿון די קאָמוניסטן בלויז דערפֿאַר וואָס זיי זענען געווען שטאַרק נאַיִוו און זענען אַרײַנגעפֿאַלן אין אַ פּאַסטקע. די טראַגעדיע פֿונעם 12טן אויגוסט 1952, ווען דער רעזשים האָט דערמאָרדעט וויכטיקע סאָוועטשע שרײַבערס און קולטור־טוערס, האָט געוואָרפֿן אַ שאָטן אויף דער גאַנצער תּקופֿה — אָבער די ייִדישע שרײַבער האָבן דאָס נישט פֿאַרדינט.
איין פּראָבלעם מיט דער קאָנפֿערענץ איז געווען וואָס געוויסע אַקאַדעמישע לעקציעס האָבן געדויערט 90 מינוט. דאָס איז געווען ניט גרינג אַפֿילו פֿאַר אַוואַנסירטע סטודענטן. צוריקגערעדט, וואָס איז דאָ ייִדיש ערגער פון אַנדערע שפּראַכן, אויף וועלכע מע האַלט אַקאַדעמישע לעקציעס?
אַ טשיקאַווער צוגאָב צו דער פּראָגראַם איז געווען אַ קורצער פֿילם אויף ייִדיש געשאַפֿן פֿון עטל ניבאָרסקי, פֿאַרבונדן מיט די סאָוועטיש־ייִדישע שרײַבערס. עס איז אַ שיין ראָמאַנטיש בילד — אָבער איך וויל נישט אויסזאָגן קיין סודות, ווײַל יעדער איינער דאַרף זען דעם פֿילם פֿאַר זיך אַליין.
בײַ די מערסטע באַטייליקטע איז דאָס געווען דאָס ערשטע מאָל וואָס זיי זענען געקומען קיין קלויזנבורג. זי איז אַ שיינע אַלטע שטאָט מיט אַ סך פּרעכטיקע גאַסן און הײַזער פֿון די עסטרײַך־אונגערישע צײַטן. ס׳איז די צווייט־גרעסטע שטאָט אין רומעניע און האָט אַ סך גוטע רעסטאָראַנען און קאַווע־הײַזער, וווּ מע קען פֿאַרברענגען די איבעריקע שעהען.
כאָטש רומעניע האָט פֿאַר דער צווייטער וועלט־מלחמה זיך נישט גערעכנט פֿאַר קיין גרויסן ייִדיש־צענטער, זעען מיר הײַנט אײַן, אַז זי האָט געהאַט אַ חשובֿ אָרט. ערשטנס, האָבן מער ייִדן איבערגעלעבט די מלחמה אין רומעניע ווי אין פּוילן, ליטע אָדער אונגערן, ווײַל רומעניע האָט נישט דעפּאָרטירט אירע ייִדן קיין אוישוויץ. (אין קלויזנבורג האָט מען זיי יאָ דעפּאָרטירט, ווײַל די שטאָט האָט ווידער געהערט צו אונגערן צווישן 1940 און 1944.)
אַ סך ייִדן איבער דער וועלט שטאַמען פֿון רומעניע, אַרײַנגערעכנט באַקאַנטע חסידישע הויפֿן, ווי סאַטמאַר, וויזשניץ, קלויזנבורג, סקולען, ספּינקע און קרעטשניף. אַ טייל פֿון די חסידים האַלטן זיך פֿאַר „אונגערישע“ ווײַל אַ מאָל איז דאָס געווען אונגערן, אָבער לויט דער הײַנטיקער מאַפּע זענען זיי רומענישע. דער אונטערלענדישער דיאַלעקט, וואָס מע האָט גערעדט אין מערבֿ־רומעניע, איז דער יסוד פֿונעם חסידישן ייִדיש וואָס מע רעדט הײַנט.
דעם פֿאַרלעצטן טאָג האָט מען געמאַכט אַן עקסקורסיע קיין סאַטמאַר (Satu Mare), וואָס געפֿינט זיך נאָענט צו דער אונגערישער גרענעץ. איין באַטייליקטער, אַסף קירשנער, האָט באַמערקט: „דער בעסטער אופֿן זיך אויסצולערנען ייִדיש איז צו זיצן דרײַ שעה אין אַן אויטאָבוס קיין סאַטמאַר צוזאַמען מיט ייִדישיסטן, וואָס הערן נישט אויף צו רעדן.“ אין דער גרויסער שול פֿון סאַטמאַר האָבן מיר באַגעגנט אַ גרופּע סאַטמאַרער חסידים, געקומענע פֿון לאָנדאָן, וואָס האָבן געהאַלטן אין דאַווענען שחרית. פֿאַר די חסידים איז געווען אַ חידוש צו זען אַ גרופּע פֿון זיבעציק מענטשן, מענער און פֿרויען אָנגעטאָן ווי גויים, וואָס רעדן אַלע ייִדיש.
די איינציקע צרה איז געווען אַן ענין מיט דער באַהייצונג. דער עולם האָט געהערט עטלעכע לעקציעס אינעם אָרטיקן בית־מדרש, וואָס איז נישט געווען באַהייצט. האָבן אַלע שוין געטראָגן די מאַנטלען די גאַנצע צײַט.
מיר האָבן געזען די שטאָט סאַטמאַר מערסטנס דורכן פֿענצטער פֿון אויטאָבוס, ווײַל עס האָט די גאַנצע צײַט גערעגנט. אָבער דאָס באַגעגעניש מיט די סאַטמאַרער חסידים האָט זייער שיין אילוסטרירט אונדזער פּראָגראַם: אַ וואָך אין דער סאָוועטיש־ייִדישער אוטאָפּיע. (דאָס איז סײַ איראָניש געמיינט, סײַ נישט איראָניש.)
„דאָס איז געװען אַן אויסערגעװיינטלעכע אָקאַזיע צו פֿאַרברענגען מיט מענטשן פֿון דער גאָרער ייִדישער װעלט,“ האָט אַ באַטייליקטער, בנימין לערמאַן, פֿון בערקלי, קאַליפֿאָרניע, צוזאַמען מיט זײַן ברודער, עריק, מיר געשריבן אין אַ בליצבריוו. „כאָטש איך בין נישט קיין אַקאַדעמיקער און האָב פֿריִער נישט געהאַט קיין ספּעציעלן אינטערעס צו סאָװעטישע ענינים, איז דער אינהאַלט געװען אינטערעסאַנט און האָט אין מיר אָנגעצונדן אַ חשק װײַטער צו לייענען די סאָװעטישע שרײַבער.“
„מע האָט זיך אױפֿגעכאַפּט מיט ייִדיש, זיך געלייגט שלאָפֿן מיט ייִדיש, אַפֿילו געחלומט אױף ייִדיש,“ האָט געזאָגט אַ צווייטער באַטייליקטער, טאָמעק מײַטשאַק, פֿון וואַדאָוויצע, פּוילן. און תּפֿארת פֿרומקין, פֿון ירושלים, האָט אַפֿילו געזאָגט, אַז אויף דער פּראָגראַם איז זי געווען אַזוי אײַנגעטונקען אין ייִדיש, אַז נאָך דעם, אויפֿן פֿליפֿעלד, האָבן אַלע פֿרעמדע שפּראַכן איר געקלונגען ווי ייִדיש.
The post A ‘Yiddish Vokh’ for nerds — but without the families appeared first on The Forward.
Uncategorized
Trump’s Board of Peace convenes on Gaza as prospect of U.S. war with Iran surges
(JTA) — The Board of Peace convened by President Donald Trump to administer Gaza’s reconstruction is meeting for the first time in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.
At the same time, signs are mounting that Trump could launch a long-threatened war on Iran imminently, which would throw the Middle East back into turmoil. U.S. warships are amassing in the region, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a planned trip to the United States this week and Trump met Wednesday with his top Iran advisors.
Trump surprised Israel by opening direct negotiations with Iran last year to limit its nuclear program. The ongoing talks, including this week, have reportedly left a wide gap in the two sides’ positions.
“There are many arguments one can make in favor of a strike against Iran,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Wednesday while maintaining that Trump would still like to make a deal.
Israeli media is reporting that a war could begin as soon as this weekend; Axios is reporting that U.S. officials view the end of the month as a significant deadline before making a final decision.
Iranian officials have said they would consider all Israeli and U.S. positions as legitimate targets as they respond to any U.S. attack, meaning that Israelis could soon find themselves once again racing to bomb shelters with Iranian missiles incoming.
Unlike after last year’s U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear sites that brought to an end a 10-day war between Israel and Iran, any U.S. campaign against Iran now could last months, according to reports.
Trump and Vice President JD Vance are scheduled to address the Board of Peace directly. Netanyahu joined the board only reluctantly, citing misgivings about sharing membership with Qatari and Turkish leaders who have supported Hamas in Gaza.
The post Trump’s Board of Peace convenes on Gaza as prospect of U.S. war with Iran surges appeared first on The Forward.
Uncategorized
Tucker Carlson draws scorn for claiming he was ‘detained’ at Israeli airport after Mike Huckabee interview
(JTA) — Tucker Carlson had just barely wrapped his interview with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee before the two were already disagreeing on a basic fact.
Carlson, the influential conservative commentator, flew to Tel Aviv on Wednesday to conduct the interview with Huckabee at Ben Gurion Airport, departing hours later without leaving the airport. But before leaving, he told the British tabloid Daily Mail, Israeli authorities confiscated his passport, dragged his executive producer into an interrogation room “and then demanded to know what we spoke to Ambassador Huckabee about.’
Not so, says the ambassador: What Carlson’s team experienced was simply a routine security measure.
“EVERYONE who comes in/out of Israel (every country for that matter) has passports checked & routinely asked security questions,” Huckabee wrote on X, refuting his former Fox News colleague before their conversation could go live.
Israel’s airport authority also denied the allegations, saying Carlson’s team “were politely asked a few routine questions, in accordance with standard procedures applied to many travelers.” A longer statement from the U.S. Embassy in Israel also said Carlson’s decision to stay in Israel only a few hours without leaving the airport was his alone.
Carlson’s complaints drew withering reactions from Jews and others who said they recognized the intense security practiced at Ben Gurion. The conservative commentator John Podhoretz, for example, recounted on X how he had been questioned for 20 minutes because he was couriering a dress for a relative. “I’ve known Tucker was an asshole for 30 years but this takes the f–king cake,” he wrote.
The back-and-forth was a preview of the hotly anticipated interview between the two divergent flanks of the Christian MAGA coalition, whose public disagreements on Israel have paralleled a larger fissure in the Republican party. Carlson, the influential GOP kingmaker, has increasingly embraced anti-Israel talking points on his show at the same time as he has platformed conspiracy theorists and antisemites including Nick Fuentes. A growing number of young right-wing influencers and candidates are lining up behind his views.
Huckabee, meanwhile, is a leading evangelical Christian Zionist who has argued in favor of Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank. He publicly lobbied Carlson for a sit-down after Carlson used his podcast to criticize him for what Carlson described as a failure to intervene in Israeli demonization of Christians. Carlson agreed to a talk, and posted a picture of himself arriving Wednesday prior to the interview.
“Greetings from Israel,” Carlson posted to X, captioning a photo of him posing outside near an Israeli flag with his arm around business partner Neil Patel. (“Sell out,” Sneako, a livestreamer and Internet personality with a long streak of antisemitic and anti-Israel comments, wrote in reply.)
Greetings from Israel. pic.twitter.com/1uBWvqBNST
— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) February 18, 2026
To some seasoned travelers, the location was obvious.
“That’s the walkway to the private jet terminal for VIP entry,” tweeted David Friedman, who was U.S. ambassador to Israel during President Donald Trump’s first term.
“After the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, the City of David, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Garden of Gethsemene, Capernaum, the Sea of Galilee, Nazareth, Bethlehem, Yad Vashem, the Knesset and about 2 million other places, this walkway is an important site (but only if you fly on private jets),” he continued. “Too bad Tucker stayed in the airport in the face of so many invitations to see so many wonderful places. A huge and obviously intentional missed opportunity.”
Trump, an ally of both Carlson and Huckabee, may have also played a hand in arranging the interview, according to a former Fox News reporter who told the Times of Israel that Trump wanted to prevent an intra-party spat over Israel that could benefit Democrats. The source, Melissa Francis, also described the interview as “emotional” and said Carlson’s team had tried and failed to also arrange an interview with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Little about the interview process had been straightforward. The week before Carlson touched down in Israel, according to local reports, Israeli authorities had indeed briefly discussed whether to bar Carlson from entering the country over his past comments — something they routinely do for non-Jewish critics of Israel, even for prominent figures. They ultimately decided to avoid a diplomatic incident, according to reports.
In the days since agreeing to an interview with Huckabee, Carlson has posted new interviews with Ryan Zink, a pardoned Jan. 6 rioter and Texas congressional candidate; billionaire hedge-fund manager Ray Dalio; conspiracy theorist Ian Carroll; and former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul.
Carlson has not yet published his interview with Huckabee. But late Wednesday, he shared an interview about Israel, continuing the vendetta that started their exchange. “How does Israel treat Christians? We spoke to one whose family has lived there since Jesus. His story is shocking,” Carlson wrote to promote the video.
For Carlson’s Jewish critics, the whole day offered yet more evidence that whatever he ultimately says about Israel should be discounted.
“Tucker Carlson is a chickens–t. 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 reporter who toured Israel), didn’t even step foot in country, then made up a story that he’s being supposedly harassed by our security (didn’t happen), whined about it, got back into the private jet and flew off,” tweeted Naftali Bennett, the Israeli politician. “Next time he talks about Israel as if he’s some expert, just remember this guy is a phony!”
The post Tucker Carlson draws scorn for claiming he was ‘detained’ at Israeli airport after Mike Huckabee interview appeared first on The Forward.