Ro Khanna claims Israeli settlers detained him during West Bank visit

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., says he was detained by Israeli settlers armed with U.S.-made firearms while visiting the West Bank.

What they're saying:

Khanna's office told The New York Times that he and his delegation were surrounded Wednesday by a group of Israeli settlers near the Palestinian village of Khirbet Zanuta. According to his office, the settlers were carrying American-made M4 rifles.

Khanna said the situation escalated when Israeli Defense Forces soldiers arrived and, according to his account, sided with the settlers. His office said the confrontation ended only after Israeli police arrived and dispersed the settlers and removed vehicles blocking the congressional delegation's route.

"If they will do this to an American congressman, imagine what is happening to Palestinian families who are just trying to live," Khanna said in a statement to Fox News Digital.

"I am grateful to David Brownstein of the American embassy for helping rescue us. I expect Israel will prosecute the violent settlers and IDF soldiers who detained American citizens," Khanna added.

Dig deeper:

The New York Times first reported details of the alleged incident on Saturday. A spokesperson for Khanna's office confirmed the newspaper's reporting to Fox News Digital, and Khanna also discussed the encounter in an interview with Reuters.

"I'm certainly probably the first American politician who's been detained by the IDF and Israeli settlers," Khanna said in a Reuters video.

"We were at a village that Israeli settlers had destroyed," Khanna said. "And these hoodlums come in with machine guns, an M4, an American-made machine gun, and they detain us. They block off the road, and then they call the IDF and the IDF is on their side, not on the side of the Americans."

The backstory:

Khanna, a frequent critic of Israel and a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, said the experience strengthened his interest in a White House bid.

"I'm strongly considering it," he told Reuters of a possible presidential campaign, "and I'm more resolved to consider it after this trip. We need a new moral direction in our party. A new moral vision that respects the dignity and human rights of people around the world."

He also told The New York Times, "No American would support this if they knew the details of what was going on here."

The Israeli military told Reuters that troops and police responded after receiving reports that settlers were 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 told Reuters.

The other side:

Fox News Digital said it also reached out to the Israel Defense Forces, the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem for additional comment.

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