At a time when global opinion about Israel is sharply divided and political discourse increasingly polarized, a surprising encounter brought two influential American conservative voices together in Jerusalem: commentator Tucker Carlson and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee.
Behind the scenes was journalist and filmmaker Melissa Francis, though she modestly rejects the title of architect. “I don't know if I'm the driving force, but thank you,” Francis told Sharon Kidon. “It's my pleasure to join you and welcome to take any credit away from either of those people.”
Studio Interview with Melissa Francis
(Video: Lior Sharon)
A lunch that sparked a political moment
According to Francis, the idea began not in a newsroom or diplomatic office, but over a private lunch. “Well, Tucker and I are friends. We were meeting for a personal lunch,” she recalled. “I mentioned I've been to Israel. He said he would love to come but he wasn't sure he would be welcome because of recent events.”
Carlson initially explored the possibility of meeting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, she said, but the plan shifted. “He reached out to see if he could set up a meeting. The prime minister apparently wasn't open to that. And so Mike Huckabee took over and said, ‘Why don't you come here and let's talk — instead of talking about me, why don't you come talk to me?’”
Francis said the ambassador wanted to address statements Carlson had made about Israel. “He wanted to correct some of the things that he's seen Tucker say recently that he didn't feel were accurate,” she said.
Why Israel, and why now?
For Francis, Israel was more than just the setting. It has become part of a broader personal transformation.
“I've been here eight times since October 7. I've fallen in love with the country,” she said. “People always say to me, if you want to change someone's mind about Israel, they should come here.”
The expectation, she explained, was that direct exposure might reshape perceptions. “The ambassador had mentioned to me — if he came here and talked to the people, I don't think his experience would be what he seems to think it might be.”
From concept to confrontation
The meeting ultimately took place in an unexpected setting — Ben Gurion Airport — and at times became heated.
“Tucker has said a lot of things recently and he has a lot of questions,” Francis said. “He had a lot of questions that a lot of Americans have.”
She suggested the broader backdrop includes tensions within American politics. “Tucker told me the president reached out to him and said, ‘Please, can we stop with this fight over Israel? It is really dividing the Republican Party.’”
While emphasizing that she was paraphrasing, Francis said the goal was to lower the temperature. “Tucker wanted to turn down the heat. Certainly the ambassador did. I don't know if that's the way it turned out. It was very heated at times.”
Still, she praised Huckabee’s performance. “I think the ambassador did a great job of correcting the record on a lot of things,” she said, adding that Carlson “pressed very hard on questions that he has.”
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Mike Huckabee, US Ambassador to Israel, with Donald Trump
(Photo: Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP)
Security controversy and airport questioning
The encounter was followed by controversy when Carlson claimed he had been detained while leaving Israel, an experience Francis said she also went through.
“On my way into the country, I too was taken into a room and my passport was taken. They asked me a lot of questions, dumped out my suitcase,” she said.
Despite the discomfort, she framed it as a security precaution. “This country has been through a lot lately. I feel very safe when I come here. I don't take it personally. I think the reason they went through my bag was to keep the country safe.”
Asked whether Carlson’s questioning might have been politically motivated, Francis was cautious. “I can't say what's in anyone's minds. It seems like it's safety,” she said.
Fear, politics and the Republican divide
Francis acknowledged that Carlson initially hesitated to travel to Israel. “He was afraid to come here at first,” she said, noting that most of the logistics were handled by the ambassador.
She described the meeting as part of a broader political struggle in the United States. “This was really Americans getting together to try and bury the hatchet ahead of a midterm,” she said. “The fight in the Republican Party has become about Israel. It's not helpful to the party. Anytime your enemy manages to divide you, you tend to lose.”
According to Francis, former President Donald Trump is concerned about that division. “I think President Trump is very disturbed by the fight. It's sucking all the air out of the room,” she said.
At the same time, she downplayed suggestions that internal Republican debates could shape US policy toward Iran. “The president does what he's going to do. He has a very clear mind. He listens to what everyone has to say, but he decides what he's doing.”
She also rejected the notion that Israel’s leadership could sway US strategy. “I don't think our president is going to listen to the leader of another country and let him tell him what to do. He will only ever do what's best for America,” she said.
Journalism in uncertain times
Despite rising regional tensions and the possibility of escalation, Francis said she remains committed to her work in Israel.
“I've been in war zones my whole journalist career,” she said. “I'm sure my family is nervous, but it's the job.”
Her upcoming documentary is set to premiere in Jerusalem on March 10, with Ambassador Huckabee expected to attend.
“Just like Israelis, I am going to continue working and producing and do what I do,” she said. “Regardless of anything, you have to keep life going.”