SouthernWorldwide.com – U.S. Representative Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California, has stated that he and his team were detained by armed Israeli settlers while visiting the West Bank.
The incident reportedly occurred near the Palestinian village of Khirbet Zanuta on Wednesday. Khanna’s office informed The New York Times that a group of West Bank settlers, armed with American-made M4 machine guns, surrounded Khanna and his team.
According to Khanna’s office, Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers arrived at the scene and appeared to side with the settlers. The situation was only resolved after Israeli police officers intervened, dispersing the settlers and clearing the path that had been blocked by their vehicles.
“I am grateful to David Brownstein of the American embassy for helping rescue us,” Representative Khanna stated. “I expect Israel will prosecute the violent settlers and IDF soldiers who detained American citizens.”
Details of the alleged incident were first reported by The New York Times on Saturday. Khanna himself described the event in a Reuters video, remarking, “I’m certainly probably the first American politician who’s been detained by the IDF and Israeli settlers.”
He further elaborated on the circumstances, explaining that they were visiting a village that Israeli settlers had reportedly destroyed. “And these hoodlums come in with machine guns, an M4, an American-made machine gun, and they detain us,” Khanna said. “They block off the road, and then they call the IDF and the IDF is on their side, not on the side of the Americans.”
Khanna, known for his critical stance on Israeli policies and as a potential contender for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, suggested that this experience has influenced his considerations for a future White House run.
“I’m strongly considering it,” he told Reuters on camera regarding a potential U.S. presidential bid. “And I’m more resolved to consider it after this trip. We need a new moral direction in our party. A new moral vision that respects the dignity and human rights of people around the world.”
Khanna expressed to The New York Times that the details of what transpired in the West Bank are not widely understood by Americans. “No American would support this if they knew the details of what was going on here,” he said.
The Israeli military, in a statement to Reuters, confirmed that troops and police officers were dispatched after receiving a report of settlers blocking vehicles near Khirbet Zanuta.
“Upon their arrival, the troops dispersed the Israeli civilians and allowed the vehicles to continue on their way,” the military told Reuters. The statement did not provide further details on the actions of the settlers or the IDF soldiers.
