Ro Khanna clashes with Fox News host over key details of his West Bank detainment: ‘The ambassador is lying’

Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat representing California, found himself in a heated back-and-forth on Monday during an appearance on America’s Newsroom, The Hill reported. The core of the conflict involved a recent incident in the West Bank where the congressman claims he was detained by Israeli settlers, a situation he believes should be an outrage to any American citizen.

This exchange with host Gillian Turner highlights the growing friction within political circles regarding how the United States handles its relationship with Israel, especially as the region continues to face significant instability.

The situation began when Khanna’s team was touring a part of the southern West Bank, specifically near a village called Khirbet Zanuta. According to the congressman, his group was visiting a site where residents had dealt with frequent settler attacks. Khanna described a scene where his team’s van was surrounded by individuals wielding M4 rifles, which he noted were American-made. He stated that these individuals blocked the road and detained his group until the military arrived.

Khanna’s account of the event has faced direct challenge from the Israeli military

The congressman’s account suggests that when the Israel Defense Forces appeared on the scene, they sided with the settlers rather than assisting the American group. Turner challenged this narrative during their interview, asking if the congressman was aware that entering a restricted military area guarded by local security would likely lead to his entourage being stopped.

Khanna pushed back on the premise, stating that it was not a restricted military area and that other members of Congress had visited the location previously. Turner countered by pointing out that those prior visits only happened with official coordination. Khanna insisted on finishing his thought, emphasizing that the military blocked the road and failed to protect his team, which he feels is a serious issue that demands attention.

The military has offered a very different version of these events. In a statement, they noted that their troops were dispatched to the scene specifically to disperse the Israeli civilians and reopen the road that had been blocked. They explicitly denied taking part in any blockade, claiming that once their forces arrived, they allowed the vehicles to continue on their way. This discrepancy between the congressman’s experience and the military’s official report remains a major point of contention.

Adding another layer to this dispute are comments made by Michael Leiter, the Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. On Sunday, during an appearance on CBS News’s Face the Nation, Leiter claimed that the Israeli Embassy had reached out to coordinate with Khanna regarding his trip. The ambassador stated that he suggested the congressman meet with survivors of the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack and visit the borders to get a better understanding of the security issues faced by the nation. According to the ambassador, Khanna ignored these suggestions.

When Turner asked him about these claims, Khanna told the host, “The ambassador is lying. We did inform him.” He explained that he had already visited with a hostage family from the U.S. on multiple occasions to support their efforts to secure the release of their son.

Khanna further clarified that he specifically told the Israeli government he wanted to go on a Palestinian-led trip to the West Bank because he had already completed three previous visits to Israel. He felt it was necessary to see the situation from a different perspective for three days. “They knew that,” he stated firmly.

This incident has taken place against the backdrop of a broader political conversation. Khanna is currently considering a run for president in 2028, and he has expressed that his recent experiences in the region have only made him more resolved to consider that path. He has been vocal about his belief that the political establishment is failing to understand the gravity of the situation in Palestine, Gaza, and Israel.

During his visit to the outskirts of Turmus Ayya, he stated that refusing to speak up for Palestinian human rights or the conditions in the West Bank leaves one morally compromised.