Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Fremont) said armed Israeli settlers detained him and other U.S. citizens during a recent tour of the occupied West Bank in an incident that is thrusting the California congressman into the international debate over human rights in the Palestinian territories and U.S. foreign aid to Israel as he openly weighs a 2028 presidential bid.<\/p>\n
Khanna said settlers surrounded his group\u2019s van on Wednesday near the Palestinian village of Khirbet Zanuta in the southern West Bank. He described visiting an area that settlers had destroyed, including a school. He said settlers carrying U.S.-made weapons detained him and his party. <\/p>\n
The congressman said the Israel Defense Forces later arrived but sided with the settlers. A group of officers who appeared to be police eventually secured the group\u2019s release, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf they will do this to an American congressman, imagine what is happening to Palestinian families who are just trying to live,\u201d Khanna said in a statement. \u201cI expect Israel will prosecute the violent settlers and IDF soldiers who detained American citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n
Khanna said that the settlers \u201cmade a huge mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n
Visiting Israel has been a bipartisan rite for members of Congress for decades. Khanna instead chose a West Bank trip. His visit took place amid growing Democratic unease with Israel\u2019s military conduct since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing Israeli war in Gaza<\/a>.<\/p>\n At least one congressional representative was critical of the incident \u2014 for reasons other than the detention. Rep. Greg Murphy (R-N.C.) dismissed the trip on a post to X.<\/p>\n \u201cSounds like another plea for publicity,\u201d Murphy wrote. \u201cAnything to get in front of the camera. Why else would you be there? It isn\u2019t your country.\u201d<\/p>\n Cameron Kasky, an aide to Khanna who was in the group, said on X that the visit included meetings with \u201cmany Palestinian-Americans\u201d and that the group was held for more than an hour.<\/p>\n