Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna detained by Israeli settlers during West Bank visit

California Congressman Ro Khanna Held by Settlers During West Bank Journey

Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna detained by Israeli – Democratic Representative Ro Khanna reported being detained by armed Israeli settlers while traveling through the West Bank this week. The California lawmaker described the encounter as part of an unfiltered examination of life under Israeli occupation, occurring as he evaluates a potential 2028 presidential campaign.

During an interview with Reuters on Thursday from a Palestinian village, Khanna explained that his group’s van became surrounded by settlers carrying M4 rifles the previous day. This occurred while touring a section of the southern West Bank where local residents regularly experience attacks from settlers.

“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,” Khanna recalled.

The progressive congressman continued describing the confrontation. He noted that individuals he characterized as “hoodlums” arrived with machine guns—specifically American-made M4 rifles—and detained his group. The settlers blocked the road and contacted the Israeli Defense Forces, which Khanna claimed sided with the settlers rather than the Americans.

Cameron Kasky, an aide traveling with Khanna, stated that the group remained detained for over an hour. During this time, they made appeals to the United States Embassy in Jerusalem requesting assistance. Eventually, a group of officers who appeared to be police intervened and secured their release.

Official Responses and Context

The Israeli military provided its account of the incident, stating that troops and police officers responded after receiving reports of settlers blocking vehicles near Khirbet Zanuta. This small Palestinian hamlet experienced forced displacement of its residents following violent settler raids after the 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel. According to the military, upon arrival, troops dispersed the Israeli civilians and permitted the vehicles to proceed.

Neither Israel’s police force nor the US Embassy in Jerusalem immediately responded to requests for comment regarding the incident.

Khanna became the second Democrat exploring a White House bid to visit the region during the same week. In Tel Aviv on Wednesday, Rahm Emanuel—who previously served as chief of staff to President Barack Obama—expressed concerns that Israeli policies toward Palestinians were weakening support for the US-Israeli alliance.

Political Implications for 2028

When asked about his presidential prospects, Khanna stated: “I’m strongly considering it and I’m more resolved to consider it after this trip.”

Israel’s treatment of Palestinians has become a significant issue within Democratic politics ahead of the November midterm elections. This concern has contributed to primary election defeats for several incumbent lawmakers who faced left-wing challengers accusing them of supporting Israel’s right-wing government.

According to Reuters/Ipsos polling data, Israel’s favorability rating among Democrats dropped dramatically from 59 percent in 2018 to just 22 percent in May. While Israel has traditionally maintained strong bipartisan support in the United States, an increasing number of Democratic congress members are now advocating for reductions in military assistance. This aid totals $3.8 billion annually and encompasses funding for light weaponry, including M4 rifles and missile interceptors that Israel utilized during its conflict with Iran.

Speaking from an overlook near Turmus Ayya—a village populated by thousands of Palestinian-American dual nationals with settler outposts visible in the valley below—Khanna expressed his belief that his party’s establishment remained “clueless about how much of a moral test Palestine, Gaza and Israel have become.”

He explained that he deliberately chose to conduct an exclusive West Bank visit with Palestinian-led programming to obtain an unfiltered perspective on territory captured by Israel during the 1967 Middle East war.

“If you’re unwilling to speak up for Palestinian human rights, if you’re unwilling to speak up against the genocide in Gaza, the apartheid in the West Bank, then you are morally compromised,” Khanna declared.

Israel disputes allegations that it conducted genocide in Gaza or established an apartheid system in the West Bank. The region contains approximately 3 million Palestinians and around 500,000 Jewish settlers. Most nations and the United Nations consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, referencing the Fourth Geneva Convention’s prohibition against transferring civilian populations into occupied territories. Israel maintains that the West Bank represents disputed territory with a Jewish presence spanning thousands of years. Palestinians regard the West Bank, alongside Gaza and East Jerusalem, as integral components of a future Palestinian state.

Republican support for Israel remains robust, although certain segments of President Trump’s coalition have also advocated for reducing military assistance.