Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna Says He Was Confronted by Armed Israeli Settlers in the West Bank

U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) has alleged Israeli settlers confronted him and members of his staff while they were touring the West Bank this week.

“Israeli settlers, brandishing American-made M4S, detained me & other Americans on my trip to Palestine,” Khanna wrote on social media on July 11.

“When the IDF arrived, they sided with the settlers & continued our detention. They made a huge mistake. You will be hearing more soon.”

Khanna is a member of the House Progressive Caucus and a frequent critic of the Israeli state. He has also been weighing a run for president in 2028.

The California congressman’s July 11 social media post included a photo showing two individuals in black t-shirts, with one carrying a rifle slung from his shoulder, standing beside an SUV, with other stopped vehicles visible in the background.

The social media post also included a video showing two more armed men in military uniforms talking to the driver of a pickup truck.

Cameron Kasky, a member of Khanna’s staff, also shared social media posts with photos from their overseas visit and the encounter with armed individuals.

Responding to a request for comment on Khanna’s allegations, an IDF spokesperson described an incident that occurred on July 8.

“Earlier this week (Wednesday), a report was received regarding Israeli civilians who were unlawfully blocking the vehicles of foreign nationals and members of the media in the area of Khirbet Zanuta, within the Judea Regional Brigade,” the IDF spokesperson told The Epoch Times.

“Upon receiving the report, IDF troops were dispatched to the scene, quickly dispersed the Israeli civilians, and reopened the blocked road. The IDF soldiers operating in the area did not take part in blocking the road. The identity of the armed individual is currently under review.”

Khanna has repeatedly criticized recent Israeli military operations in the Middle East and called for the United States to cut off foreign aid to Israel, which has said it launched attacks to combat terrorism and ensure national security. He has also condemned the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and accused Israeli authorities of enabling a de facto annexation of the territory.

The West Bank has been under varying degrees of Israeli military and civil administration ever since Israeli forces took control of the land during the 1967 Six-Day War.

Israeli settlements in the West Bank have been a point of contention in the long-running Israeli–Palestinian conflict. Supporters of a Palestinian state have considered the West Bank to be a core component of such a state, but expanding communities of Israeli citizens could undermine that claim.

There have been repeated violent confrontations between Israeli settlers and Palestinians living in the West Bank.