A roadside confrontation involving U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna, armed settlers, and Israeli soldiers in the West Bank has triggered a public dispute between the congressman and Israeli officials, with each side presenting sharply contrasting accounts of the incident.
Khanna, a Democrat representing California, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Israeli settlers, some armed with American-made M4 rifles, detained him and other Americans during a tour of the occupied West Bank last week. He further claimed that when the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) arrived, they sided with the settlers and prolonged their detention.
Israeli authorities, however, have disputed Khanna's characterization. The IDF stated that soldiers responded to reports of foreign nationals entering what was believed to be a closed military zone, while Israeli civilians had blocked a nearby road. According to the military, soldiers moved the civilians away, verified there was no security threat, and confirmed the area was not a closed military zone before allowing the convoy to proceed. The IDF noted the process lasted several minutes and involved no physical confrontation or violence. The military also acknowledged that one armed individual present was an off-duty IDF soldier whose conduct is under review, and that Khanna's visit had not been coordinated in advance.
Israel's Ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, publicly accused Khanna of fabricating a confrontation. Leiter stated on X that Khanna declined an offer to coordinate his visit with Israeli authorities and the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. He characterized the episode as a "cheap, anticipated provocation," adding that the congressman was free to leave once his identity was cleared.
Khanna's office has rejected the IDF and Israeli police accounts. The congressman's political team stated that "extremist settlers" blocked the convoy for approximately an hour, with several carrying rifles. They alleged that settlers surrounded the vehicles, cursed at the delegation, kicked tires, filmed passengers, and refused to let the convoy leave while Israeli soldiers observed. Khanna's team also disputed the claim that the encounter lasted only a few minutes and asserted that the U.S. Embassy and local police had been notified of the delegation's itinerary.
Israeli police stated their officers witnessed no violence and were informed by soldiers that the group had entered a designated closed military zone. Body camera footage, according to police, showed the tour organizer being warned about future violations. Khanna's aides countered that previous members of Congress had visited the same area without issue and that there was no lawful basis for preventing their departure. They claimed soldiers refused to move the settlers or permit the convoy to leave until police arrived, despite repeated identifications of Khanna as a U.S. congressman and assurances of clearance.
Middle East analyst Haviv Rettig Gur also challenged Khanna's narrative, suggesting it was "agitprop for your American audiences" rather than an account of Israeli violence. Rettig Gur noted that available evidence suggested soldiers appeared "mostly just confused" about the status of the area, which had reportedly only recently reopened. He questioned why Khanna's delegation had not released footage corroborating their claims of settler violence.
Despite the conflicting narratives, all parties involved agree that no physical violence occurred during the incident.