Rep. Ro Khanna of California declined an invitation to meet with former Israeli hostages and survivors of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack during a visit to Israel this week, according to a source familiar with the trip’s planning who spoke to The Post.
Khanna’s staff first contacted the Israeli Embassy on July 2, describing the visit as a private trip and indicating that the Democratic congressman did not plan to meet with Israeli or Palestinian political officials, the source said.
On Monday, Israeli officials offered Khanna’s team an opportunity to sit down with survivors of the Oct. 7 attack and former hostages, but the invitation was not accepted, according to the source.
The Israelis followed up again the next day, but Khanna’s office did not respond, the source added.
“Congressman Khanna didn’t come to understand the situation — he came looking for a headline. Israel went out of its way to provide Congressman Khanna with access to communities that reflected the complexity of the situation, he chose a different path,” the source said.
More than 1,200 Israelis were killed and about 250 people were taken hostage during Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, with some captives reportedly held for as long as 843 days.
Israeli officials also proposed meetings with Druze communities in the Golan Heights and representatives of Israeli border communities, as well as a briefing on humanitarian aid entering Gaza, but Khanna did not accept those offers either, the source said.
Khanna later said in a Saturday post on X that he had been detained by armed Israeli settlers carrying M4 rifles during a West Bank tour, sharing video and photos of the encounter.
He went on to state that Israeli Defense Forces later continued blocking the road after the settlers left, and that he was only able to continue his journey after he called the US embassy and Israeli police.
“They made a huge mistake. You will be hearing more soon,” Khanna threatened on X.
Another source who was familiar with Khanna’s preparations for the trip, claimed that the Congressman was trying to “ride the anti-Israel wave” of his party and repeatedly rebuffed Israeli efforts to help coordinate his trip into the West Bank.
Khanna, who once touted his support for Israel, has recently turned into a sharp critic of the Jewish state and has been linked with multiple allegedly antisemitic figures.
Streamer Hasan Piker posted on X that he would be speaking with Khanna Monday about the alleged incident. Piker has called Orthodox Jews “inbred” and said that Hamas is “1,000 times” better than Israel.
The California Democrat who has floated a presidential run in 2028, endorsed embattled Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, who sported a Nazi tattoo and recently dropped out of the race following a rape allegation.
Khanna’s staff later clarified with Israeli officials that the visit, which began Wednesday, was a “campaign trip,” and said he would be paying for his visit with campaign funds.
A spokesperson for Khanna said their team flagged the trip to House leadership, the American and Israeli embassies in advance, and that they were authorized to use campaign funds for the trip.
“We appreciate [Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem] David Brownstein, whose intervention saved lives,” the spokesperson said, referring to the incident with the Israeli settlers.
The spokesperson did not clarify whose life was in danger, and did not respond to The Post’s questions regarding a meeting with Israeli hostages or Oct. 7 survivors.
