Khanna faces criticism after West Bank settler detention account
The California Democrat says armed settlers and Israeli soldiers blocked his van in the occupied West Bank for more than an hour.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
US Representative Ro Khanna is facing attacks from Israeli officials and pro-Israel figures after saying armed Israeli settlers detained him during a trip in the occupied West Bank. The dispute has put renewed attention on the treatment of US citizens in the territory and on Washington’s response when Americans are confronted by settlers or Israeli forces.
Khanna, a California Democrat, said he was travelling Wednesday to a Palestinian village when settlers stopped his van for about 20 minutes. According to Khanna, Israeli soldiers later arrived and continued to block the road, extending the encounter to more than an hour before it ended after he contacted the US embassy in Israel.
Israeli officials have rejected Khanna’s account and have not announced an apology or action against the settlers. Michael Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, told CBS News on Sunday that Khanna had failed to coordinate the visit with Israel and instead worked with Palestinian activists and J Street, a Jewish nonprofit.
Leiter also suggested, without providing evidence, that Khanna may have released video of the incident to draw attention away from his support for Graham Platner, who ended his Maine Senate campaign Friday after sexual misconduct allegations. Khanna posted his video Saturday.
Khanna disputes Israeli account
Khanna said he did notify Israel about his travel plans and has called for the settlers who stopped his van to be arrested. The Israeli military said it dispersed civilians who were blocking the road, an account Khanna rejected in an NBC News interview.
Khanna said settlers carrying M4 rifles kicked the van’s tires, mocked the people inside and recorded them. He also accused Israeli soldiers of joining the effort to block the group’s movement rather than clearing the route.
Republican Representative Greg Murphy accused Khanna on social media of staging a publicity effort and questioned why he was in the area. Critics noted that Murphy’s first congressional delegation trip was to Israel, according to the account cited by Al Jazeera.
Khanna replied that Murphy should support consequences for settlers and soldiers who mistreat US citizens. Khanna said he would have demanded the same if Murphy had been the person stopped.
Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson defended Khanna and criticized US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee for not publicly speaking out. On X, Carlson described the incident as an affront to an American official and to the United States.
David Friedman, a former US ambassador to Israel, accused Khanna of self-victimization and claimed, without evidence, that the congressman entered a restricted area to provoke a confrontation. Other pro-Israel advocates echoed similar claims questioning Khanna’s account.
Broader scrutiny of settler violence
The International Court of Justice ruled in 2024 that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, including Gaza, is unlawful. The UN court said Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, along with the system tied to them, violate international law.
Rights advocates say Israeli settlers often attack Palestinian communities in the West Bank under the protection of Israeli forces. Al Jazeera reported that US citizens have also been harmed in such attacks.
One year ago, 20-year-old US citizen Sayfollah Musallet was beaten to death by Israeli settlers, according to his family’s account cited by Al Jazeera. Three weeks later, Khamis Ayyad, a Chicago father of five and US citizen, was killed in another settler attack, according to the same reporting.
No suspects have been charged in those two cases, according to Al Jazeera. Despite complaints about treatment of US citizens, Israel was admitted to the US visa waiver programme in 2023, allowing Israeli citizens to travel to the United States without visas.
Israel remains the largest cumulative recipient of US military aid, according to Al Jazeera, which reported that it received more than $21bn in the past two years.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.