Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., says he was detained by Israeli settlers carrying American-made M4 rifles during a visit to the West Bank. The incident took place while the congressman was touring areas where Palestinian residents face frequent attacks. The experience, he said, gave him a direct look at what he called the human cost of the occupation.
Speaking to reporters from a Palestinian village, Khanna described the encounter in detail. He said his group’s van was surrounded by settlers while they were visiting a village that had been destroyed, including its school. “We were at a village that Israeli settlers had destroyed, they had destroyed the school, they had destroyed that village, and we were just looking at it,” he said, according to NBC News.
Khanna said the settlers blocked the road and stopped his group from leaving. He also expressed frustration at how the Israel Defense Forces responded to the situation. “And these hoodlums come in with machine guns – M4, an American-made machine gun – and they detain us. 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,” he said.
The Israeli military and police described the West Bank detention differently
An aide to Khanna, Cameron Kasky, said the group was held for more than an hour and had to contact the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem for help. Officers eventually intervened, and the group was released. The Israeli military gave a different version of events, saying troops were sent after receiving a report that civilians were blocking vehicles near Khirbet Zanuta.
An IDF spokesperson told reporters that soldiers quickly dispersed the civilians and reopened the road, and stated that the military did not take part in the blockade. Israel Police said the group had entered a closed military zone controlled by the IDF, and that by the time police arrived, soldiers had already stopped the tour group.
Police reported no violence but issued a warning to the group’s leader that future violations of the closed zone order would result in immediate arrest. After the incident, Khanna released a statement pointing to what he said were wider implications of what happened.
“If they will do this to an American congressman, imagine what is happening to Palestinian families who are just trying to live,” he said. He also stated that he expects Israel to prosecute the individuals involved in detaining the American citizens. Similar settler actions have been described by Palestinian officials as systematic theft and destruction of property.
The trip comes as Israel’s conduct toward Palestinians has become a major point of division within Democratic politics. During his visit, Khanna said he believes his party’s establishment is out of touch with what he described as the moral weight of the situation in the region. When asked about a potential run for the presidency in 2028, Khanna was direct. “I’m strongly considering it, and I’m more resolved to consider it after this trip,” he said.
Published: Jul 12, 2026 08:33 am