Rep. Ro Khanna says armed Israeli settlers detained his West Bank congressional group
WASHINGTON, July 18. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., says Israeli settlers carrying U.S.-made M4 rifles surrounded and detained him and his congressional team near the Palestinian village of Khirbet Zanuta in the West Bank on Wednesday, his office told The New York Times. Israeli Defense Forces soldiers who arrived at the scene sided with the settlers rather than the American delegation, Khanna said. Israeli police ultimately dispersed the group and cleared the road blockade.
Key takeaways
- Rep. Ro Khanna says Israeli settlers carrying U.S.-made M4 rifles surrounded and detained him and his congressional team near Khirbet Zanuta in the West Bank on Wednesday.
- Khanna said Israeli Defense Forces soldiers who arrived sided with the settlers, before Israeli police dispersed the group and cleared the road blockade.
- David Brownstein of the American Embassy assisted in resolving the standoff, and Khanna said he expects Israel to prosecute both the settlers and the IDF soldiers involved.
- Khanna said the incident made him more resolved to consider a 2028 Democratic presidential run, saying the party needs 'a new moral direction.'
- The Israeli military told Reuters its troops and police moved in after a report of settlers blocking vehicles, then dispersed the civilians and let the vehicles continue.
WASHINGTON, July 18. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., says Israeli settlers carrying U.S.-made M4 rifles surrounded and detained him and his congressional team near the Palestinian village of Khirbet Zanuta in the West Bank on Wednesday, his office told The New York Times. Israeli Defense Forces soldiers who arrived at the scene sided with the settlers rather than the American delegation, Khanna said. Israeli police ultimately dispersed the group and cleared the road blockade.
Standoff and embassy intervention
Khanna, speaking on camera to Reuters, said he is "probably the first American politician who's been detained by the IDF and Israeli settlers." He described the group arriving at a village he said settlers had destroyed, then being surrounded by what he called "hoodlums" carrying M4 machine guns who blocked the road and called in IDF troops. The soldiers, he said, stood with the settlers.
David Brownstein of the American Embassy assisted in resolving the standoff, Khanna's office said. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Khanna said he expects Israel to prosecute both the settlers and the IDF soldiers involved. "If they will do this to an American congressman, imagine what is happening to Palestinian families who are just trying to live," he said.
The Israeli military told Reuters that its troops and police moved in 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 said in a statement to Reuters.
2028 presidential consideration
Khanna, a frequent critic of Israeli policy, said the incident sharpened his thinking on a potential 2028 Democratic presidential run. "I'm strongly considering it," he told Reuters, "and I'm more resolved to consider it after this trip." He said the party needs "a new moral direction" and "a new moral vision that respects the dignity and human rights of people around the world."
He told the Times that no American would support what is happening in the West Bank if they knew the details.
A representative for Khanna's team confirmed the account to Fox News Digital. The New York Times first published the incident report on Saturday.