US Democratic Representative Ro Khanna said he was detained by Israeli settlers armed with US-made rifles during a recent visit to the West Bank, describing the visit as providing an opportunity to see a true picture of the repercussions of the Israeli occupation on human lives.
This comes as Khanna is considering running for president in 2028.
Speaking on Thursday from a Palestinian village, Khana said that settlers carrying M-4 rifles surrounded the van he was riding in the previous day during a tour of an area in the southern West Bank where residents are frequently attacked by settlers.
“We were in a village that had been destroyed by Israeli settlers,” said U.S. Representative Khanna of California . “They destroyed the school and they destroyed that village, and we were just checking on that.”
He added, “Then these criminals came carrying M4 machine guns, which are American-made machine guns, and they detained us. They blocked the road. Then they contacted the Israeli army, and the Israeli army was on their side, not on the side of the Americans.”
Cameron Kaski, one of Khanna's aides who was with the group, said they were detained for over an hour and pleaded with the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem for help. Kaski added that a group of officers, who appeared to be police, eventually intervened, leading to their release.
The Israeli army stated that army and police forces intervened after receiving a report that settlers were obstructing the road for vehicles near Khirbet Zanuta, a small Palestinian village whose residents were forcibly displaced following violent attacks by settlers.
The army said, “Upon arrival, the forces dispersed the Israeli civilians and allowed the vehicles to continue on their way.”
Israeli police have not yet responded to a request for comment, nor has the US embassy in Jerusalem.
