Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., has been accused of staging a "hostage" incident during a recent trip to the West Bank, according to a critical opinion piece published by the New York Post.
The article alleges that Khanna intentionally led his entourage into a restricted zone, subsequently claiming to have been taken hostage by Israeli settlers. The report asserts that Khanna was briefly stopped by local security and released after the army verified his account.
The New York Post criticized Khanna's reaction, describing his statements about being "stopped" in a high-security area as "unprecedented" and "illegal" for an American citizen as "absurd" and "entitled 'ugly American' behavior." The author suggests that any individual, including an elected official, making an unscheduled visit to a contained area in a foreign country could reasonably expect to be stopped and questioned.
According to the opinion piece, none of Khanna's House colleagues have publicly defended his actions, with even progressive lawmakers reportedly expressing frustration with what they view as self-promotion. Khanna, described as one of the wealthiest Democrats in Congress, also reportedly claimed he was stopped because he is "brown," a notion dismissed by the article as "utter nonsense."
The piece further contends that Khanna staged the incident for a New York Times photographer and has used it to discuss presidential ambitions, issuing warnings to Israelis that he might soon be in a position of global power.
Khanna's actions and political positioning have been previously characterized in sharp terms by the New York Post, including criticism for his past endorsement of a political candidate and his comments regarding Jeffrey Epstein associates. The article concludes by characterizing Khanna's behavior as "demagoguery" appealing to an "ignorant domestic audience."