A contingent of pro-Palestinian activists committed to ending “settler violence” in Israel helped organize Rep. Ro Khanna’s (D-CA) controversial trip to the West Bank, on which the congressman claimed armed “Israeli settlers” unlawfully detained him and his entourage.Khanna said Saturday that while he was touring the West Bank, a group of “Israeli settlers, brandishing American-made M4s, detained me & other Americans on my trip to Palestine.” When Israeli soldiers arrived at the scene, “they sided with the settlers & continued our detention,” Khanna claimed on X.Khanna further detailed the episode in an exclusive interview with the New York Times, claiming that a caravan of Israeli civilians acting as vigilantes blocked his delegation from leaving a remote village in the West Bank, a disputed territory that Palestinians believe is occupied by Israeli invaders or “settlers.” A photographer for the New York Times accompanied Khanna’s delegation, taking pictures on each leg of the tour for the feature story.
Some critics suspect that Khanna’s trip was a campaign stunt intended to increase the congressman’s popularity, especially among supporters critical of the U.S. alliance with Israel, as he considers a 2028 run for president. The visit, which Khanna described as an “uncurated” yet Palestinian-led glimpse into the war-torn region, seemed aimed at promoting only one side of the conflict.A source privy to the congressman’s travel plans told the New York Post that Khanna ignored multiple invitations to meet with former hostages of Hamas and Israeli survivors of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack, saying, “Congressman Khanna didn’t come to understand the situation — he came looking for a headline.” Khanna’s staff later clarified to Israeli officials that the three-day pilgrimage, which began Wednesday, was a private trip paid for with campaign funds.Leader of Soros-funded nonprofit group served as Khanna’s tour guide and ‘expert on settler violence’
