California Rep. Ro Khanna said he was held by armed Israeli settlers during a West Bank visit this week, later warning that the Israeli military “made a huge mistake” in how it handled the incident.
Khanna, a Silicon Valley Democrat and prominent critic of Israel who is considering a possible 2028 presidential campaign, told Reuters that settlers carrying rifles surrounded his group’s van Wednesday while they were traveling through an area of the southern West Bank.
“Israeli settlers, brandishing American made M4s, detained me & other Americans on my trip to Palestine,” Khanna wrote Saturday in a post on X.
“When the IDF arrived, they sided with the settlers & continued our detention. They made a huge mistake. You will be hearing more soon,” he added, without offering further details.
An aide to the congressman said the group was held for more than an hour and contacted the US Embassy in Jerusalem for assistance before they were ultimately allowed to leave.
The Israeli military told Reuters that there was a report of settlers blocking vehicles near Khirbet Zanuta, a small Palestinian hamlet.
“Upon their arrival, the troops dispersed the Israeli civilians and allowed the vehicles to continue on their way,” the military said.
Khanna has has openly embraced an an anti-Israel tone, co-sponsoring a resolution to label Israel’s military actions in Gaza a “genocide.”
“One of the reasons we lost [the 2024 presidential election] is our blank check to Israel and Netanyahu while they committed genocide in Gaza,” he said.
While he’s said he believes in “the right for Israel to exist… what I don’t believe is if it means Greater Israel,” said Khanna, adding that he supports a two-state solution.
Khanna’s visit to the Middle East comes as the issue of Israel’s conflict with Palestine plays a make-or-break role in progressive politics. Many on the far-left in California have viewed support for Palestine as a crucial litmus test.
Two weeks ago, progressive Bay Area congressional candidate Scott Wiener, who is vying to replace Speaker Nancy Pelosi in Congress, was confronted by pro-Palestinian agitators in separate incidents just days apart.
