Congressman Calls Out Israeli Military Over Detention Incident
US Representative Ro Khanna, a California Democrat, accused the Israeli government and military of lying about his detention by armed settlers and Israeli soldiers during a recent visit to the Israeli-occupied West Bank. In an interview with NBC News' Meet the Press on Sunday, Khanna directly contradicted the Israeli Defense Forces' account of the incident, which occurred on Wednesday near the village of Zanuta in the South Hebron hills.
The Israeli military had claimed that its soldiers quickly dispersed the Israeli civilians and reopened the blocked road. However, Khanna stated, 'The IDF is lying. What happened was unprecedented. They had violent settlers detain American citizens, including an American government official. You had these settlers brandishing M4 rifles, kicking the tires of our van, laughing at us, mocking us, videotaping us.' He added that the delegation was detained for about 20 minutes, fearful for their lives, and that when IDF soldiers arrived, they told the translator they were on the side of the settlers, further detaining and blocking them.
Netanyahu Calls Settlers 'Juvenile Delinquents'
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, appearing on the same program, described the armed settlers as a small band of 'juvenile delinquents,' asserting they are not part of the law-abiding community of Israeli settlers. Every Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is illegal under international law. Khanna responded by calling for an investigation into the settlers, specifically naming Yinon Levi, who has been linked to the destruction of Zanuta and is known for killing a Palestinian activist, Awdah Hathaleen, without prosecution despite video evidence.
Khanna also demanded an investigation into the four IDF officers involved, stating, 'Security cameras can see that they were involved in the detention of American citizens. How dare they mistreat people with an American passport that way?'
Israeli Officials Accuse Khanna of Political Stunt
Israeli officials claimed that Khanna rejected their effort to shape his visit by adding a meeting with former Israeli hostages held in Gaza after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack. They told the New York Post, 'Congressman Khanna didn’t come to understand the situation – he came looking for a headline.' Khanna countered on social media, 'The Israeli government is lying to cover up for 4 IDF soldiers who aided violent settlers. I have met with Israeli hostages and condemned the brutal, terrorist attacks of Oct 7. That does not excuse the IDF from detaining American citizens.'
In a separate interview on CBS News' Face the Nation, Israel's US-born ambassador to the US, Michael Leiter, accused Khanna of staging the visit as a political stunt to distract from his past support of Graham Platner, a former Maine US Senate candidate accused of sexual assault, and to promote a potential 2028 presidential run. Leiter suggested the timing was suspicious, noting that Khanna waited until Saturday to release details of the Wednesday incident. He also claimed Khanna shunned Israeli government planning assistance in favor of working with dissident groups like Breaking the Silence.
Witness Accounts Support Khanna's Version
Nadav Weiman, director of Breaking the Silence, accompanied Khanna and supported his account. Weiman wrote on social media, 'Armed settlers were the first to arrive, and then, as has become the norm, Israeli soldiers joined them. Together they detained the delegation for over an hour. The IDF is lying and not for the first time.' Weiman described how settlers were giving orders to soldiers, not the other way around.
Khanna's aide, Cameron Kasky, a Parkland school shooting survivor, documented the incident on social media. Kasky, known for using the hashtag #NeverAgain to advocate against school shootings, wrote last year, 'I am always surprised when people ask me why I focus so much on Palestine. Beyond my Jewish identity making me strongly opposed to genocide, I’m a school shooting survivor-turned-activist. I started my adult life demanding an end to American-made weapons slaughtering children.'
