Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., alleges that he and his team were detained by Israeli settlers armed with U.S.-made M4 machine guns while visiting the West Bank on July 8. According to Khanna's office, the incident occurred near the Palestinian village of Khirbet Zanuta.
Khanna stated that after being surrounded by settlers, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) arrived and initially appeared to side with the settlers. The situation was resolved when Israeli police officers arrived and dispersed the settlers, who had been blocking the group's path. Khanna described the individuals as "hoodlums" wielding machine guns.
"I'm certainly probably the first American politician who's been detained by the IDF and Israeli settlers," Khanna told Reuters in a video. He added that he was at a village that Israeli settlers had destroyed prior to the encounter. "These hoodlums come in with machine guns, an M4, an American-made machine gun, and they detain us. They block off the road, and then they call the IDF and the IDF is on their side, not on the side of the Americans."
The Israeli military confirmed to Reuters that troops and police officers responded to a report of settlers blocking vehicles near Khirbet Zanuta. "Upon their arrival, the troops dispersed the Israeli civilians and allowed the vehicles to continue on their way," a military spokesperson stated.
Khanna, who has been critical of Israel's policies, suggested the incident has influenced his consideration of a potential presidential run in 2028. "I'm strongly considering it, and I'm more resolved to consider it after this trip. We need a new moral direction in our party. A new moral vision that respects the dignity and human rights of people around the world," he told Reuters.
He also remarked to The New York Times, "No American would support this if they knew the details of what was going on here."