Ro Khanna detained by armed settlers during West Bank visit
US Representative Ro Khanna says armed Israeli settlers detained him for more than an hour on Wednesday while he toured the abandoned Palestinian village of Khirbet Zanuta in the southern West Bank. The California Democrat told Reuters that men carrying US-made M4 rifles blocked his group's van, a confrontation that underscores settler violence in occupied territory and the limits of US diplomatic protection abroad.
Key Takeaways
- Ro Khanna says settlers armed with US-made M4 rifles blocked his van near Khirbet Zanuta for over an hour on Wednesday.
- His aide Cameron Kasky said the group appealed to the US Embassy in Jerusalem before Israeli security forces cleared the road.
- Khanna alleges Israeli military troops sided with the settlers rather than aiding his delegation.
- The Israeli military said troops and police dispersed the civilians and allowed the vehicles to continue.
- Khanna cast the trip as a look at the human toll of occupation as he weighs a possible 2028 presidential run.
What happened to Ro Khanna in the West Bank?
According to Reuters, Khanna was visiting Khirbet Zanuta, a Palestinian hamlet whose residents were forcibly displaced after violent settler raids. He said his group had been inspecting a destroyed village and school when settlers surrounded their van.
Khanna described the men as carrying "machine guns – M4, an American-made machine gun." They blocked the road and detained the delegation. The New York Times reported that a photographer traveling in a separate vehicle also witnessed the interaction, and that settlers swore at the group in Hebrew and Arabic and kicked the tires of their minibus.
Why does Khanna say the IDF sided with the settlers?
Khanna told Reuters that after the settlers arrived, they called the Israel Defense Forces. "The IDF is on their side, not on the side of the Americans," he said. The New York Times reported that when military vehicles arrived, soldiers smoked cigarettes and chatted with the settlers.
Khanna said that after the settlers left, troops moved a car to block the road again. He called the experience the most frightening part of a three-day congressional recess trip, saying he felt "powerless" for roughly 90 minutes despite his privilege as a US lawmaker.
How did Israeli authorities respond?
The Israeli military told Reuters and The Times of Israel that troops and police intervened after receiving 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," the military said.
Reuters cited an Israeli security source who said Khanna had not coordinated the trip in advance and therefore was not provided with security. Representatives of the Israeli military did not immediately respond to a New York Times request for comment on Khanna's account of soldiers siding with settlers.
Why was Khanna visiting the West Bank now?
Khanna, a progressive Silicon Valley lawmaker and vocal critic of Israeli policy, framed the visit as an unfiltered look at occupation's human toll. The Times of Israel reported he is weighing a 2028 presidential run. His trip followed mounting international attention to settler violence in the southern West Bank.
For readers tracking how global flashpoints shape politics and public discourse, see more coverage in our Future Tech & AI Wonders section. Khanna said he hoped Americans would understand that Palestinian families face similar threats daily without embassy appeals or congressional stature.