US Congressman Ro Khanna said Israeli soldiers laughed when they learned they were detaining Americans, including a member of Congress, during an incident in the occupied West Bank.
The California Democrat said the confrontation happened while he was visiting the Palestinian hamlet of Khirbet Zanuta with a delegation on Wednesday.
According to Khanna, armed Israeli settlers blocked the group’s vehicle before Israeli soldiers arrived at the scene.
Khanna said the delegation had been touring a village where buildings, including a school, had been destroyed in previous settler attacks when their vehicle was surrounded.
He alleged that settlers carrying U.S.-made M4 rifles prevented the group from leaving before contacting the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
Speaking to Reuters, Khanna said the response from Israeli troops left him with many questions in mind.
“I saw the arrogance in the eyes of those settlers, 21- and 22-year-olds with guns, laughing that they had detained us, the arrogance of those young IDF soldiers that my tax dollars are funding, having no respect for the fact that they were detaining Americans, no respect that there was an American congressperson in that bus, and laughing when our translator told them that there are Americans there and the American embassy is concerned,” Khanna said.
Congressman Describes Feeling Powerless
Khanna said the encounter lasted about 90 minutes before the group was allowed to continue after contacting the U.S. Embassy and Israeli police.
He told Reuters the incident gave him a better understanding of the daily realities many Palestinians face under military occupation.
Khanna said he felt powerless despite the protections afforded to American lawmakers.
He argued that if a member of Congress could be held without immediate resolution, Palestinians living under occupation face even greater vulnerability.
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In comments previously reported by The New York Times, Khanna said the experience changed his perspective.
“I felt powerless in that situation,” he said.
“Imagine how people feel every day, Palestinians under the occupation, if they could make an American congressperson feel powerless for 90 minutes.”
Israeli Military Responds
The Israeli military confirmed that troops and police responded after receiving reports that settlers were obstructing vehicles near Khirbet Zanuta.
The military did not publicly address Khanna’s allegation that soldiers laughed after learning Americans were among those being detained.
The United Nations considers Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank illegal under international law, although Israel disputes that interpretation.
More than 700,000 Israeli settlers now live across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Khanna Criticizes Lack of Accountability
Khanna said the incident showed what he described as a major culture of impunity.
He argued that years without meaningful accountability have contributed to worsening conditions in the occupied territory.
The congressman has been among the most vocal Democrats criticizing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and its policies in the West Bank.
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He has also questioned continued U.S. military assistance to Israel, arguing that American support should be tied to respect for human rights.
Khanna noted that U.S. taxpayers help fund the Israeli military, making the treatment of American citizens by Israeli forces a matter of concern.
Tensions Continue in the West Bank
Violence in the occupied West Bank has increased since Hamas’s October 2023 attacks and the subsequent war in Gaza.
International organizations have reported more settler attacks, more military operations and tighter restrictions on movement of Palestinian communities.
A United Nations commission reported in June that Israeli authorities and security forces had committed serious violations of international law in both Gaza and the West Bank, findings that Israel has rejected.
Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din has also reported that prosecutions involving attacks on Palestinians remain rare.
Presidential Ambitions
During the Reuters interview, Khanna was asked whether he is considering a run for the White House in 2028.
He replied that the trip had strengthened his thinking about a possible campaign.
“I’m strongly considering it,” Khanna said. “And I’m more resolved to consider it after this trip.”
The congressman has increasingly positioned himself as a leading progressive voice within the Democratic Party, frequently calling for changes to U.S. policy toward Israel and urging party leaders to address concerns over the war in Gaza ahead of future national elections.
